


parenting

by rikunort



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Some Drug Use, also sex later on, axel and roxas are both super big brothers, kairi namine and xion are adorable little children, lots of emotions, ven's kind of a little bitch sometimes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-13
Updated: 2014-06-21
Packaged: 2018-02-04 11:23:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 15
Words: 50,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1777303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rikunort/pseuds/rikunort
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Roxas Strife, a 19 year old art student, life can't really get much worse. Still reeling from the sudden death of his father and his mother leaving, he's forced to grow up rather fast in order to take care of his two younger siblings. One of which isn't really making his life the easiest. He has to balance school, a job, <em>plus</em> his brother and sister, and he's beginning to slip through the cracks a little.</p><p>Enter Axel Brenton, a 20 year old culinary student who's little sister <em>happens</em> to be best friend's with Roxas' little sister. Roxas thinks he's a total prick due to how persistently he hits on him, and for a while, he wants absolutely nothing to do with him. But Axel makes that a <em>little</em> bit impossible. When Roxas actually looks beneath the cocky exterior, he finds that maybe, just maybe, they aren't all that different at all.</p><p>Life gets rough sometimes, but there will always be someone there to catch you when you fall.</p><p>(will add 3 chapters per day until i'm caught up here)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Roxy! Roxy! Roxy!"

Roxas groaned, cracking an eye open to find blue eyes a few shades darker than his own staring at him. Naminé was hovering over him, hair thrown up messily—he could tell she'd tried to do it herself by the large chunks that hung down—and looking eager about something.

Roxas loved his baby sister to death, but seriously? It was before noon on a Saturday. She  _knew_  not to wake him up before noon on a Saturday, especially after the week from hell that he'd had. It had been her and Ventus' first week back to school, and he'd been scrambling to make sure they had what they needed. And now, all he wanted was to just sleep in…was that so much to ask?

She poked his cheek. "Are you awake yet?" she questioned, leaning back to rest her bum on her folded legs.

Sighing, he sat up, rubbing his face tiredly. "Yeah, kiddo, I'm up." A colossal yawn broke free of his mouth. "What is it, Nami? Couldn't you have asked Ven instead?"

She giggled. "Venny left a little while ago! But I need you to take me to my friend's house, she just called and asked if I could come over, then I told her yes because I knew you would let me." Her eyes turned big and pleading, like a puppy. "I can go, right Roxy? Please please pleeeeeease?"

Roxas' brow furrowed. "Wait, where did Ven go?"

She immediately looked away. "He told me I couldn't tell you…he gave me some munny!"

Instantly, Roxas grew suspicious. Reaching for his wallet, he pulled out a ten munny ball, holding it out to her. "You can have this if you tell me where he went."

She pursed her lips, considering it. "Will you take me to Kairi's, too?"

Sighing (and feeling like he was selling his soul to an adorable little blonde-haired devil), he nodded. Squealing with delight, she took the offered munny and tucked it into the pocket of her overalls.

"Venny said he was going out to see one of his friends. He said you didn't like him, which is why I was supposed to keep it a secret." Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Roxy, Venny won't be mad at me, right?"

Roxas stood, pulling her into his arms and twirling her. "Don't you worry, kiddo. I won't tell him you told me." Smiling at the high-pitched squeals of laughter, he spun her around once more before setting her on the floor, ruffling her hair. "Let me take a quick shower, okay? Why don't you call your friend and tell her you'll be there in half an hour." Pausing for a moment, he added, "And ask who's home, too."

Nodding, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. She was so little that she barely even reached his hip. "Thank you, Roxy! You're the bestest big brother ever!" she exclaimed before scampering off, presumably to call her friend. Meanwhile, Roxas headed to the bathroom for a quick shower.

As he rinsed, he thought about Ventus. He knew that there was only really one possibility as to who he was with—it had to be Vanitas. After all, who else didn't he like? Only Axel, really, and he'd never seen the two of him hang out in his life. Actually, he didn't even think they really knew each other...they'd only seen each other in passing when Ventus walked to Roxas' university one day after school to meet with him.

No, it had to be Vanitas.

Roxas turned the shower off, flooded with worry for his younger brother. Vanitas was older, _and_ he was a jerk. He just didn't want him getting hurt, and he knew that that was the only possible outcome including Vanitas. There was something off about him, something that Roxas just didn't like.

Wrapping a towel around himself, he exited the bathroom. Naminé was waiting for him, smiling immediately upon seeing him emerge. "Kairi said that her older brother is there. He's really nice, I promise—I met him before. So you don't have to worry, okay Roxy?"

Smiling, he nodded. "Alright. Gimme a minute to get dressed, and then we'll go."

"Okay!" She ran into her room, most likely to grab some dolls or something like that. Roxas shook his head, still smiling, and went to his room to get dressed. He pulled on some tan shorts, as well as his favorite faded Batman shirt. He then rubbed his head vigorously with his towel, leaving it nearly dry and feathery. Not wanting to bother gelling it, he simply pulled on a grey beanie.

"Roxy, are you ready yet?" Naminé called from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, come in if you want," he told her, adjusting his hat so that it sat just right. The door opened and Naminé stepped in, looking frustrated. Seeing the look, Roxas knelt before her. "What's wrong, Naminé?"

She sighed, pulling at her hair. "Can you fix my hair for me? I tried to braid it, but…I don't know how…" Her eyes lowered, lip quivering.

Eyes soft, he tilted her chin up and kissed her forehead. "Of course I will. Turn around."

This brought a wide smile to her face. She turned and he pulled out the elastic in her hair, gently combing through the long honey-blond strands with his fingers. He then started weaving it into a French braid, securing it with the elastic once he was done and letting it fall down to her butt.

"There you go, monster," he told her, poking her nose once she's turned back around. Giggling, she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, Roxy!"

He grinned. "Anytime, kiddo," he replied, standing up. She immediately took his hand, and he tucked his wallet and keys into his pocket and grabbed a plain black sweater before they left the room. "How about I teach you how to braid sometime?"

Gasping, she looked up at him with wide blue eyes. "Really?"

He nodded. "We can practice on one of your dolls."

Those pretty eyes sparkled at that. "You're the best!"

Chuckling, he just began swinging their arms between them, marveling at the fact that it was possible to love someone as much as he loved his baby sister.

He knew things had been tough for her since their father had died, and then worsened by their mother moving them to the big island before deciding that she had to leave for a while.

That had been almost two months ago.

It was bullshit, really—she'd left because she said she couldn't look at any of her own children without seeing their father. So that left him, a nineteen year old college student, to take care of a seventeen and six year old. She sent money for bills, of course, but Roxas had been forced to get a job to pay for food and other things.

It wasn't fair, none of it, but there was nothing to be done about it. Until their mother smartened up…Roxas had to act as mother and father to his brother and sister. He didn't really know if he was up to the task, but he was just going to do his best and hope it was enough.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxas gets an unwelcome surprise, followed by a _very_ welcome one.

They made their way out the door to Roxas' beat-up old car and got in. Naminé held her backpack on her lap and buckled up, while Roxas started the car and pulled out of the driveway.

"Do you have the address?" he asked, glancing over at his baby sister.

Nodding, she pulled a slip of ripped yellow construction paper from her backpack and handed it to him. Written in purple crayon in her messy, six year old scrawl, he barely made out a misspelled Trinity Apartment Complex, Building 2, Apartment 813.

"So tell me more about Kairi," he prompted, wanting to make conversation since his radio was broken. Plus, he wanted to hear more about her new friend.

Naminé lit up immediately. "Kairi is my bestest friend! She's in my class, and she was really the only one who was nice to me. She introduced me to her other friends, so now I have lotsa friends at school!"

"She seems very nice," he commented with a smile. He was so happy to hear that Naminé was making friends—back at her old school on the other island, she hadn't had any at all. The kids all made fun of her because she was smaller than most kids her age, which made her an easy target. She was also kind of…offbeat, so that didn't exactly help. Kids could be cruel little bastards sometimes.

"She is!" the tiny blonde said enthusiastically. "And her big brother is reeeeeeally nice too! He takes care of her like you and Venny take care of me, because she doesn't have a mommy and her daddy left like our mommy did…" She looked down sadly then, and it broke Roxas' heart so much. Reaching out, he wrapped an arm around her skinny little shoulders.

"Mommy's just having a really hard time right now, kiddo," he told her, sighing. "She loved Daddy very much, and it made her really sad when he passed away. I'm sure she'll come back someday, okay? Don't cry." His voice was soft as he wiped away a tear that had slipped from one of her eyes. He could have dealt just fine with his mother leaving if it had just been him and Ven, but for her to leave Naminé, who couldn't understand? It was ridiculous.

"I just miss her, Roxy…and Daddy too." She looked over at him, fear in her teary blue eyes. "You and Venny won't ever leave me, _right_?"

Luckily, they were at a red light. Leaning over the middle console, he hugged her tightly and kissed the crown of her head. "Never in a million, billion years, Nami. You'll always have us, okay?"

Sniffling, she nodded. "I'm really glad I have big brothers like you and Venny, Roxy. I love you a lot."

Letting her go since the light turned green, he smiled softly. "I love you too, you little monster."

She giggled at that, wiping away any leftover tears, and he knew she'd be okay. For a little girl, she had an exceptional kind of strength to her. She was definitely one of a kind.

They soon reached the Trinity Apartments. They got out of the car, and Roxas pressed the button to lock the doors before taking her hand and leading her to Building 2. She stared up at the tall buildings in wonder—they were higher than the buildings on the island they were from, and she hadn't really been here. They'd lived in the suburbs, and so she wasn't used to huge buildings.

They headed inside and went to the elevator. Roxas let Naminé press the button, and as they waited, she practically vibrated where she stood.

Chuckling, he questioned, "Excited?"

She nodded vigorously, a wide smile on her little face. The elevator dinged, announcing its arrival, and Naminé nearly ran right into an elderly woman that was exiting in her excitement.

"Sorry about that, ma'am," Roxas apologized, nudging a sheepish-looking Naminé as he held the elevator doors open.

"Yeah, miss, I'm real sorry," she murmured, looking down and twiddling her thumbs.

The old woman smiled and laughed, waving a hand dismissively. "It's quite alright, dear. Just be more careful and watch where you're going from now on, okay?"

Smiling brightly, Naminé nodded. "I will, miss!" she promised.

"You have fun, dear," she said before heading out the door.

The siblings stepped onto the elevator, and Roxas told her to press number eight. She did so after taking a few seconds to find the correct button, watching as the doors closed and feeling the elevator start to move.

They quickly reached the eighth floor. Roxas took his little sister's hand, and together they located apartment thirteen. Naminé immediately knocked, practically buzzing with excitement. A squeal was then heard from the other side of the door, which was opened seconds later by a small girl with short, bright red hair. The shade looked familiar to him for some reason, but he couldn't decide why…

"Nami!" the little girl squealed, throwing her arms around Naminé. They were the same height, which made Roxas smile.

"Hey, Kairi!" the blonde exclaimed, letting go of the redhead. "Kairi, this is my big brother Roxas!"

The little girl smiled shyly at him. He returned the smile and waved, causing her to giggle. "It's very nice to meet you, Miss Kairi."

She giggled again. "You too, Roxas!"

Roxas knelt down to pull his sister in for a hug, kissing her cheek. "You have my number written down somewhere, right?" he questioned, pulling back to look her in the eyes.

She nodded. "It's in my backpack!"

He smiled. "Okay, kiddo. Call me when you're ready to come home…but not too late, you know your bedtime is nine on Saturdays," he said seriously.

She sighed. "I know, I know…can I watch a movie with you and Venny later?"

"If he's home early enough," he promised. He poked her nose, making her giggle. "Have fun, Naminé. I'll see you later on."

"Well well well," a new voice cut in. "This is a surprise!"

Roxas froze, recognizing it instantly. Slowly standing, he turned to find none other than Axel Brenton standing behind Kairi. His emerald green eyes sparkled with mischief, a smirk adorning his face.

" _You're_  Kairi's older brother?" he asked incredulously, blue eyes wide.

"The one and only," Axel replied, smirk widening. "Man, when Naminé said that she had two older brothers, I should have known it was you and Ventus. The resemblance is uncanny."

Scowling, Roxas crossed his arms over his chest. Of fucking  _course_  it had to be Axel. Axel, the stupid prick in his Philosophy class who insisted on bothering him with suggestive remarks. "Whatever. Take good care of my baby sister, got it?"

"Of course!" he replied, moving closer and leaning against the doorframe. "Naminé'll have lots of fun, right?"

Naminé nodded vigorously, grinning. "Don't worry about me, Roxy! I'll be okay, Axie's lotsa fun and he makes us good food!"

Sighing, not wanting to leave his sister with a douche like Axel, he nodded. "Alright, kiddo." He turned back to Axel, blue eyes guarded. "If anything,  _anything_ , happens, she has my cell phone number written down and it's in her bag. Call me immediately if anything goes wrong," he ordered.

Axel rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I got it. You don't have to worry, I'm not retarded. I can take care of two little girls just fine."

"Yeah, whatever," Roxas muttered. He looked to his little sister, forcing himself to smile. "Have fun, Nami. I'll see you later…I love you," he told her, eyes softening.

Nodding, she ran inside. "Bye, Roxy! I love you too!"

He left then, feeling uneasy. He hated the thought of Axel taking care of Naminé all day, but if his little sister's words were true, then the redhead was in a similar situation to him. He let that thought be his sole comfort as he made his way down to his car and started it up. He immediately headed towards his home, seeing no reason to stay out.

He was just parking his car when he felt the desire to get some ice cream. Sighing when he realized he needed to go to the grocery store anyway, he started the car back up and headed toward the nearest store.

Once there, he grabbed a cart and started combing through the aisles for the things he needed. He got some Cocoa Puffs for Naminé and Frosted Flakes for Ven, as well as some Cinnamon Toast Crunch for himself. He also grabbed a box of blueberry Poptarts, throwing in a box of chocolate ones as well since they were his guilty pleasure. He also picked up some fruits and vegetables, as well as some meat to freeze until it was needed.

He gathered other random things he needed before heading to the frozen section, where he grabbed two tubs of sea-salt ice cream, as well as cotton candy for Naminé. Satisfied that he had everything he needed, he headed toward the checkouts.

"Oh my _god_! Roxas, is that you?"

Roxas turned at the voice, eyebrow raised. He was met with the sight of a spiky-haired brunet of average height, with sparkling cobalt eyes and a wide grin on his face. It took him a moment, but then it clicked.

" _Sora_?" At the brunet's nod, Roxas felt himself start to grin. "Oh my god, Sora!"

Sora ran over and immediately enveloped him in a hug. "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded, though his tone was a happy one.

"'Here' as in the grocery store, or 'here' as in Asha Island?" he asked with a cheeky grin, blue eyes sparkling at seeing his old friend again. He hadn't seen Sora since they were eight years old, when the Fair family moved from little Madoc Island to the much larger Asha Island. They'd kept in touch for a little while, but they'd sadly stopped talking when they were ten.

Laughing, Sora smacked him lightly. "Asha Island, silly!"

Smile dropping slightly, Roxas sighed and rubbed his face. "That's right, you didn't hear…"

Sora's brow furrowed. "Hear what?"

The blond looked down, biting his lip. "Dad died a few months ago. Car accident, he apparently died quickly upon impact. Mom moved us here in November…"

The brunet gasped, blue eyes going wide as he raised a hand to his mouth. "Oh my god, Roxas…I'm so sorry to hear that." He glanced around. "Where  _is_  your mom? And Ven?"

Roxas sighed again. "Mom left…and _actually_ , I think Ventus is with your brother. I just came to get some groceries after dropping my little sister off at her friend Kairi's."

"Wait wait wait wait wait," Sora said rapidly, eyebrows shooting up. "One, what do you mean by 'left'? Two, Ventus is hanging around with  _Vanitas_  and he didn't think to tell me? And three…you have a little sister and she's friends with Kairi?"

"One: I mean  _left_. She left the week after we got here, spouting bullshit about not being able to look at any of us because we look too much like dad. Two: yes, he paid my sister off so that she wouldn't tell me, but I found out anyway. And no offense, but your brother's always been a dick. Three:…yeah, I do. Her name is Naminé, and she's six. She met Kairi at school the week before Christmas break, I guess," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Holy  _shit_ ," he mumbled. "Dude, so you're like, looking after your brother and sister all alone?"

He nodded. "Roxas Strife: Mother, Father, Brother and Art Student," he muttered, scuffing his shoes against the floor. "Oh, and  _proud_  employee of _Scrooge's_ , can't forget that one."

"Fuck man, you need another hug," Sora said as he grabbed Roxas once more, squeezing him tight. "I could never have the strength required to do what you're doing, Rox. I can't imagine taking care of Xion alone."

"Xion?" Roxas questioned, pulling away from the hug.

Smiling softly, the brunet nodded. "My baby sister. Also six years old and friends with Kairi." His smile widened. "And there she is with mom and dad! Come say hi, they'd love to see you again!" Not giving Roxas a choice, he grabbed him by the arm and forced him to drag the cart along while waving his parents down.

"Well I'll be damned!" The voice came from a tall black-haired man with sparkling blue eyes, who was smiling widely. "Is that _you_ , Roxas?"

Nodding, he offered a wave. "Hi Mr. and Mrs. Fair, long time no see!" Smiling down at the tiny black-haired girl that was clutching her mother's hand, he waved to her as well. "You must be Miss Xion."

The little girl giggled and waved enthusiastically, while her mother let out a delicate, airy laugh. Her long brown hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and her emerald eyes were just as kind as Roxas remembered them to be. "Roxas, when have you _ever_ called us that? You know you can just call us Zack and Aerith."

The blond blushed a little. "Right, sorry. Just haven't seen you in a while."

Zack laughed heartily, reaching out and clapping him on the back. "You guys move here?" he questioned. At Roxas' nod, he laughed again. "Ah, so you're doing some grocery shopping for Tifa, then. Could _never_ ask Sora to do that, he'd mess it up." It was said in a playful tone, and he continued. "I'm surprised Cloud never called us up to tell us you were here!"

Roxas looked down, while Sora smacked his palm into his own face and groaned. "Dad…" he hissed.

"It's alright, Sor, he didn't know," Roxas said, taking a deep breath as he looked back up at Zack and Aerith. He cleared his throat. "Three months ago, Dad was hit by a truck when he was driving home from work. It was an instant death, we were told…"

Aerith gasped, her pretty green eyes filling with tears as she covered her mouth with her hand, while Zack…

Zack looked as if he'd been punched in the gut and gotten the air knocked out of him. He and Roxas' father had been friends since childhood, so it must have been a blow to just be finding out now about his death.

"If we'd still had your number or something, we would have contacted you," he said softly, sighing. "But Mom just couldn't focus enough to find it, and I never thought…I'm sorry."

"No, Roxas," Aerith whispered, letting go of Xion's hand to wrap her arms around him. "No, don't apologize for that…how's your mother doing?" she asked as she pulled away, wiping at her eyes.

Roxas' jaw tightened. "I'd love to know. She left the week after moving us here in November."

Zack's brow furrowed. "You mean your mother left you and Ventus _alone_ after that? You haven't heard from her since?"

He shook his head. "Not even just Ven and I…we have a six year old sister, Naminé, too…I've been taking care of them."

Aerith toyed with her long ponytail, chewing on her lip. "That just doesn't sound like Tifa…did she give you a reason?"

He chuckled humorlessly. "We remind her too much of Dad, I guess. She could barely look at us without crying. So she left us. She's sent money, of course, but that doesn't exactly make up for leaving her six year old daughter. Ven and I would have been just fine, but Naminé…she can't process things like we can. So it's up to me now to look after them and make sure that they're both okay."

Sora reached out to give his shoulder a gentle squeeze, looking at him with sympathetic blue eyes. He hated the pity he saw there—he didn't want pity.

"Roxas, son…you listen to me right now," Zack said, blue eyes serious. "If you need anything,  _anything_  at all, you come to us. Our home is always open to you, your brother and your sister, alright? Consider us family."

"No one your age should be faced with the burden you carry," Aerith added, voice soft. "Just remember that we're here for you, okay? You aren't alone, honey."

He wasn't going to cry in the middle of the grocery store. Not a chance. Choking back his tears, he nodded, unable to say anything. Seeing this, little Xion stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his legs.

"I don't like it when people are sad," the little girl told him. "And you look really sad, so don't be. Okay?"

Choking out a laugh, he nodded. "You remind me a lot of my baby sister, Naminé," he told her, smiling as he blinked the moisture from his eyes.

Her face lit up. "I know Naminé! She's in my class! And she's friends with Kairi, and I'm friends with Kairi so that makes us friends too!" she babbled excitedly, blue eyes shining happily. "She's  _really_  nice, and she helps me in art class!"

Sora laughed. "Well, would you look at that. Our baby sisters already know each other," he said with a grin. "We'll have to have to two of you over sometime! Will you be picking her up before supper tonight? Because we'd love to have you, right Ma? Dad?"

Aerith and Zack nodded, both smiling. "We'd love to have you for supper, and your brother and sister as well," the brown haired woman told him with a smile.

He returned the smile, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "I'm waiting on Naminé's call to pick her up, so I don't really know about her. And Ventus…well, I'm almost positive he's with your oldest son right now," he replied with a sigh.

"Ventus? With Vanitas?" Zack questioned, eyebrows raised. "I wasn't aware that they were friends…you'd think he would have told us that you three had moved here…"

"That's exactly what I thought when I found out," Sora muttered. "But Van's a dick so…"

Aerith swatted him on the arm, while Xion giggled. "You said a bad word, Sora!" she crowed.

"Yes," Aerith said slowly, quietly, making Sora gulp. The woman was sweet as can be, but she was terrifying when she wanted to be… "You know not to speak like that in front of your sister, Sora Angeal Fair!"

Roxas snorted. "Dude, you got the full name…you better run."

Zack laughed. "And fast," he added, grinning at Roxas.

"Sora's in trouble, Sora's in trouble!" Xion sang, giggling.

Eyes wide, Sora exclaimed, "I'm off!" before running off.

Aerith smiled serenely, turning back to Roxas. She produced a notepad and pen from her purse, writing something down before ripping the page out and handing it to him. "Here's our address, honey. We'll be eating supper around seven, so come anytime before then. And if you can track Ventus down and if Naminé calls you before then, they're welcome to come with you," she told him, smiling softly. "I also wrote Sora's cell phone number down so that you can text him and let him know if you're coming."

Smiling, he took it and folded it before sticking it in his pocket. "Thank you, guys. I haven't had a nice homemade meal in ages, so I'll be there," he said, chuckling.

Zack grinned. "Then we'll see you later!"

He nodded, taking hold of his cart. He smiled down at Xion. "It was very nice to meet you, Xion," he told her, grinning.

She smiled brightly up at him, pushing her short black hair out of her face. "You too, Roxas!"

They separated then. Roxas went to the checkouts and paid for his food, shoving the bags in his cart and wheeling it to the door before taking them all into his hands and heading out the door.

He found Sora outside, looking around warily. Laughing, he waved at his old best friend, receiving a wave back as he walked away.

"I better see your sorry ass at my house tonight!" the brunet called, earning a few glares from people as they passed by.

Roxas snorted. "Yeah, dickwad, I'll be there!" he called back as he reached his car, unlocking the doors and shoving his groceries in the back. He then climbed in and started it up, feeling genuinely happy for the first time in months as he drove away with the promise of a home cooked meal and people who cared for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember, there's more of the story on fanfiction.net! my penname is a-far-off-memory!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxas doesn't like soap operas. Or Axel. Not even a little.

As soon as he arrived home, Roxas put his groceries away save for one tub of sea salt ice cream. He grabbed a spoon and headed to the living room, flipping the tv on, and dug in.

He found himself watching some sort of soap opera, and he didn't care enough to change it. He figured there was probably nothing else good on at two in the afternoon anyway. And so he ate his ice cream silently, watching the "struggles" of the characters on screen. Honestly, these things were so ridiculous.

"He doesn't love you, idiot," he muttered, waving his spoon at the tv where some blonde bimbo was clutching the arm of a muscular black-haired man. "He loves that red-haired chick!"

Realizing that he was talking to a soap opera, he switched the tv off in disgust. What was his life coming to?

Before his dad had died, Roxas had been like any other happy teenager. He got decent grades in high school and also at university, he had friends to hang out with, and he didn't have a damn care in the world. Ven had been the same, and Naminé was a naïve, happy little girl. But one damn phone call had crumbled all of that and torn their family to pieces. Their mother moved them and then left, Roxas was forced to juggle a job, his education and his family's needs, Ven didn't talk as much, and Naminé seemed to always have a sad look in her eyes, no matter how much she smiled.

It just wasn't fair.

And to top it all off—oh, here's the good part—he'd been fighting with his father when he left for work that day. It was over something stupid, too. He'd wanted to go to a party his boyfriend's friend was throwing, and his father and mother had both said no because they knew there would be alcohol involved. Even after promising he wouldn't drink—fingers crossed behind his back, of course—they still hadn't budged. And so Roxas stormed up to his room, and his dad left.

He'd gone to that party anyway. What was the purpose of having a window with vines beneath it in your room if you weren't going to sneak out of it once in a while? That was his philosophy. And so he'd left, figuring he'd make it back that night before anyone noticed. After all, his family generally kept away from him when he was mad and had his bedroom door shut.

He'd just hated being controlled. He was eighteen years old, for god's sake! Kids his age were supposed to go out and drink illegally at parties. It was all part of growing up, wasn't it? He'd believed it was.

And then he'd gotten that goddamn phone call, and everything changed.

From then on, everything just started spiraling downward. Naminé wasn't her bubbly little self anymore. Ven locked himself in his room more. Their mother, who they'd thought the strongest of them all, was crumbling and put on anti-depressants. Not like they helped. And Roxas himself was forced to be the strong one and pick up the pieces where his mother was failing. Something deep within him had changed that night.

And then they moved here. Their mother claimed it was for a fresh start, to try and move on. And the kids  _were_  moving on—but she couldn't. Which was why she left for who knows how long, leaving her two youngest children in the care of her oldest.

Roxas really wanted to hate her for what she'd done. He really, really did. But she was his mother, and he could never hate her no matter how hard he tried. Especially since she was the only parent he had left. So no, he didn't hate her—he just didn't particularly like her or her choices at the moment.

Looking down, he realized he'd eaten half of the tub of ice cream already. Sighing deeply, he put the cover on and took it out to the kitchen, shoving it in the freezer and slamming the door shut. He really just wanted to scream, but then the damn neighbors might come and ask questions. That was honestly the last thing he wanted.

Instead, he decided to focus on finding out where the hell Ven was. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he opened up his last conversation with his brother and started typing.  _Your secret's busted, get your ass home. I ran into Sora and his family at the store and they invited us for dinner, so get back here asap._  He hit send, and after debating it for a moment, typed  _I love you_  and sent that as well. Ever since the day his dad died, he always made sure to tell his family he loved them. He really didn't want a repeat of what happened with his dad…

Seconds later, his phone chimed with a reply.  _Nami ratted me out, didn't she? Should've given her more than 5 munny…but whatever, I'll be home soon and you can yell at me all you want._  Then, tacked on, was  _And I love you too, worry wart._

Satisfied, Roxas tucked his phone back in his pocket and headed up to his room. He had some things to work on for school, and he figured he shouldn't leave it all until the last minute.

* * *

Ven arrived home around an hour later. Roxas heard him jog up the stairs, and then he appeared in his doorway with a grin on his face.

"Sorry I took so long…um, Vanitas, uh, didn't wanna leave and he was my drive so…" He rubbed the back of his neck, grin turning sheepish. "You're gonna yell at me, aren't you?"

Sighing, Roxas set his homework aside and sat up, motioning for Ven to sit on his bed. The younger blond did so immediately, bracing himself, while Roxas leaned back in his chair and locked his fingers together on his lap.

"Ventus, I really don't want you around him. He's nothing but trouble, not to mention the fact that he's four years older than you," he said almost tiredly, rubbing his face with his hand. "You don't remember him like I do, Ven. He was cruel and mean to Sora and I when we were little, and I had to stop him from picking on you on more than one occasion. He's a bully and he's bad news, and I don't think you should hang out with him anymore."

Ven rolled his eyes. "Roxas, you don't know him like I do. He's changed…and I know you see him in your classes and he's an idiot then, but he's really not bad when he's alone." His eyes then lowered, and he looked like a lost little boy. "And it's not like I have friends at school to hang out with…it's my last year and I transferred there halfway through. They all think I'm the plague or something."

Sighing, Roxas got off his chair and sat beside his brother on the bed, pulling him in for a hug. The younger blond grabbed a hold of him immediately, and Roxas started to rub his back. "Give it time, Ven…you'll find friends soon enough. You've really only been there for a week, since you went like two days before Christmas break. Just talk to people and try and be their friend."

Ven shook his head. "It isn't that easy, Rox…you don't see the way they stare at me. I hate it," he whispered. "I wish we'd never had to move…"

At that, Roxas squeezed him tighter. He hated the fact that Ven was having such a hard time adjusting—he wished he could fix it.

"Oh, Venny, I know," he said softly. "I know it's hard, I hate the fact that we moved too. But we can't change it, so we should make the best of it. For now…let's start by having a good time tonight at Sora's. Did you know they have a little girl that's Nami's age, and that they're friends?"

Ven pulled back, one eyebrow raised. "Really? Vanitas never told me that," he replied. "Speaking of Naminé…where is she?"

"I took her to her friend Kairi's earlier…whose older brother happens to be Axel," he muttered, crossing his arms.

"Axel as in that hot redhead from your philosophy class that wants in your pants but you're too much of a prude to go for him?" Ven teased, nudging his older brother.

Roxas glared. "I'm not a _prude_. But yes, _that_ Axel. And according to Nami, he's Kairi's sole caretaker because their mom died and their dad left."

The younger blond's brow furrowed. "That's kinda freaky…it's like our situation, only reversed…"

"It's the only reason I felt comfortable leaving her there," he said with a sigh, rubbing his face. "He must be competent enough to take care of his sister, and she's a very sweet little girl from what I saw and what Naminé told me. Otherwise I wouldn't have allowed it."

Ven snorted. "God, Roxy, you've turned into a mother hen, haven't you?"

Roxas sighed. "Did I really have a choice? I have to be a mother hen to look after you and Nami."

His younger brother snorted. "You talk about me like I'm a little kid, Roxas. I'm only two years younger, you don't have to look after me."

The older blond scoffed, jabbing his brother's side lightly. "I'll  _always_  look after my baby brother, no matter how old you are," he said with a grin.

"Pfft. I'm not a baby," Ventus grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Roxas laughed. "Whatever you say."

* * *

Around 4:30, Roxas' phone started ringing. Brow furrowing when he didn't recognize the number, he hesitantly hit the talk button.

"Hello?" he inquired.

" _Hey there, Roxas,"_  an all too familiar voice purred on the other line, making the blond groan and Ven glance up at him in confusion.

"What do you want, Axel? Is Naminé ready to be picked up or something?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. He heard Ven snicker, and quickly shot him a glare.

" _You could say that, I guess. Listen, I need a favor…"_

Roxas rolled his eyes, then sighed. "What is it?"

He heard a chuckle.  _"Jeez, you sound like it's your execution or something_ ," Axel remarked.  _"Anyway, my boss just called, and he needs me to come in to work. I was wondering if you might be able to come get Naminé now, and Kairi too?"_

Stifling a groan, he laid his head against the kitchen counter. "When will you be picking her up?"

" _Ten, eleven at the latest."_

Sighing again, Roxas agreed. "I'll be there in like, ten minutes. Make sure they're ready."

" _Will do. Thanks for this, Roxy…I owe you one sometime,"_ the redhead said in a low, almost seductive tone. Roxas shuddered, not knowing if it was from revulsion or something else he didn't want to acknowledge.

Without saying another word, he hung up and shoved his phone back into his pocket, letting out a loud groan. Ven burst out laughing immediately.

"What was that all about?" he questioned through the laughter.

Roxas rubbed his face with his hand, sighing heavily. "I gotta go get Naminé  _and_  Kairi, because apparently Axel's boss called him into work…you coming with me?"

Ven nodded, grabbing Roxas' keys from the counter beside the fridge and tossing them to him. The older blond caught them easily, and then the two slipped their shoes on and jogged out to the car.

They reached the Trinity Apartments within a few minutes. Roxas led Ven to Building two and into the elevator, hitting 8 and watching as the doors closed.

"This is a pretty nice apartment complex," Ven remarked. "Even the elevator's nice."

Roxas chuckled. "I think this place is only like, two years old or something like that. Of course it's nice."

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened and released them. Ven trailed behind Roxas as he headed down the hall and stopped outside the door marked "813", raising a hand and knocking. He tapped his foot impatiently for a moment before the door was opened by Axel, who had a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth.

Turning his head to the side, the redhead exclaimed, "Kai! Nami! C'mon!" It came out sounding muffled due to the toothbrush, and he ended up drooling toothpaste down the front of himself accidentally, causing both blonds to snort and laugh. "S'not funny," he mumbled, rubbing the stain away with his hand as he headed toward what Roxas presumed was the bathroom.

Kairi and Naminé appeared from behind a door, bookbags on their backs. Naminé instantly brightened upon seeing both her brothers, running to them, while Kairi walked shyly behind her.

"Roxy! Venny! You're both here!" she practically screeched, grabbing both of them in a hug.

Laughing, Ven swooped her into his arms and started tickling her, causing giggles to spill from her mouth. "You spilled the beans, traitor!"

Fighting for a breath as tears appeared in the corners of her eyes from laughing too hard, Naminé struggled to reply. "Roxy paid me too, and brought me here! He won!"

Halting his assault, Ven kissed her forehead. "You're a devious little kid, Nami."

Kairi reached them then, smiling shyly. "Hey there, Kairi," Roxas greeted her, kneeling down and offering a smile.

Her face brightened. "Hi, Roxas!"

"Kairi, this is my other brother, Ventus!" Naminé exclaimed as Ven swung her up onto his shoulders. "He's younger than Roxy, he's the  _baby_ ," she added with a giggle.

"Hey!" Ven said indignantly, sticking his nose up. " _I'm_  not a baby,  _you're_  a baby!"

Roxas snorted. "You want some cheese with that whine,  _baby_?"

Ventus simply pouted, glaring at the wall. Roxas turned back to Kairi, still smiling. "You want up on my shoulders, kiddo?" he questioned, seeing her looking at Ven and Naminé.

Nodding enthusiastically, she held her arms up and turned around so that he could lift her up. She laughed once she was up, holding on to his head for support.

Axel returned then, wearing a different shirt. His long hair was tied back, and it actually made him look kind of cute…

_Whoa. Don't even go there,_  he warned himself, swallowing hard.  _Axel's a dick. He is_ not _cute. Not even a little._ Especially _not with his hair up. Nuh uh. Not at all._

"I'll call you when I'm leaving work, alright? I'll need you to text me your address or something at some point," the redhead told him, moving closer. Roxas braced Kairi's legs as she leaned down to kiss her brother's cheek, giggling.

"I will," Roxas replied curtly, nodding once.

"See you later, Axie!" Kairi exclaimed.

Axel smiled softly in that moment as he looked up at his little sister. It was so different from his usual smirk and grin that it took Roxas aback. "See you then, monkey. I love ya."

She giggled again. "Love you too, Axie-poo!"

"Bye, Axel!" Naminé said brightly, waving from her spot on Ven's shoulders.

Axel laughed, waving back. "Bye, Naminé. Come back sometime soon, okay?"

She nodded vigorously. "I will!"

Roxas ducked under the door so he didn't smack Kairi's head. As he was about to walk away, he felt a warm hand grip his upper arm. He turned to find Axel, the soft smile gone and replaced again by his usual smirk. "Thanks for this, Roxas. I'll see you later," he purred, sliding his fingers down the blond's arm as he let go.

An involuntary shiver went through Roxas, and his face quickly heated up. "Yeah, whatever…bye!" he said quickly, heading down the hall to join his siblings at the elevator.

"Roxy, you look funny," Naminé commented, head tilted to the side.

Slowly, Ven grinned. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes… "Yeah, Nami, Roxy _does_ look funny…kinda like a tomato, right? I wonder why?"

"Axie touched his arm!" Kairi chimed in.

Ven's eyebrow shot up. "Hmm…is Roxy feeling a little…flustered because Axel touched his arm?"

The elevator doors opened, and Roxas ducked inside with a grumble. Ven just laughed, and he knew he'd be teased the rest of the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet Riku. Roxas is bad at convincing people.

The drive to the Fair residence was _hell_. Ven kept teasing him about Axel, and the girls were singing some stupid pop song by some pretty boy with a girly voice at the tops of their lungs in the back. A lethal combination that resulted in Roxas snapping at Ven and hearing the stupid song on a continuous loop in his brain. He was _extremely_ thankful when he pulled up at the address he'd been given.

The Fairs lived in a cute two-story yellow house. Gardens bloomed beautifully all over the front yard, no doubt thanks to Aerith's remarkable green thumb. A basketball net hung above the garage door, and a few bikes laid on the grass beside the front steps.

"Hey! This is Xion's house!" Kairi exclaimed as they got out of the car, violet eyes sparkling.

Naminé's face instantly lit up. "Really?!"

Laughing, Roxas nodded. "A long time ago, Xion's family lived on Madoc Island with us, and her big brother Sora was my best friend. They moved here a long time ago, though, and today was the first time I got to see him again. His family invited us all for dinner," he explained with a smile.

"Wow!" Naminé breathed. "I never met her big brother! Or her mommy and daddy!"

Ven grinned. "Well come on, then! Let's get inside!"

They headed up to the front door together, and Roxas raised a hand to press the doorbell. They waited only a moment before the door was answered by a grinning Zack.

"Hey there, Roxas! And Ven, I see you made it as well!" he exclaimed, laughing. He looked down to the two little girls with slight surprise. "Well hello, Kairi! And you must be Naminé," he said, kneeling down in front of them.

Kairi smiled widely, showing off a missing tooth. "Hi, Mr. Zack!"

Naminé, ever the happy and easy-going kid, grinned. "Hi! Are you Xion's daddy?"

The black-haired man nodded. "I was _your_ daddy's best friend, kiddo," he told her, sadness tinging his smile. It must have been hard to find out about his once-best friend's death months after it happened…

Naminé gasped. "Really? You knew my daddy?"

He nodded again, chuckling. "He and I met when we were just about your age."

The little blonde girl looked awestruck. "Cool!"

Zack stood, pulling both Roxas and Ven in for a hug. "I can't get over how big you boys have gotten…especially you, Ven! You were your sister's age last time I saw you! If that doesn't make a guy feel old, then I don't know _what_ does…"

"NAMINÉ! KAIRI!"

In a blur of black and blue, Xion tore out from a hallway, running to the door and grabbing her two friends. A chorus of squeals and giggles erupted as they hugged and started jumping around, making the three men cringe.

"Let's get inside," Zack said, wincing at a particularly high squeal from Kairi.

Nodding, the boys and little girls followed him inside. Aerith poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling when her eyes rested on the small group. She walked out to greet them, wiping her hands on her apron, and hugged Roxas and Ven like Zack had.

"It's so wonderful to see you both," she said softly, giving them a squeeze.

"You too, Aerith," Ven replied with a sad smile as he hugged the kind brown-haired woman. She exuded such a motherly atmosphere, and it made him miss his own mother terribly.

She let them go, smiling at both of them before turning her attention to the little girls. "Hello, Kairi, and Naminé," she greeted, emerald eyes sparkling.

"Hey, Miss Aerith!" Kairi said enthusiastically, hugging her legs.

"Nami, this is my mommy!" Xion told the blonde with a grin. "Mommy, Nami is one of my best friends from school!"

Aerith laughed lightly, looking at the little girls fondly. "I hear you're _quite_ the artist, Naminé," she remarked, watching the little girl blush. "Xion tells me you help her in art class."

Shyly, Naminé nodded. "Roxy is teaching me how to draw, so I like teaching others too," she replied, folding her hands behind her back and smiling shyly up at Aerith.

"What a nice big brother," Aerith commented with a smile. She headed back toward the kitchen, eyes bright. "Would you girls like to help me bake cookies and make supper?" she asked.

Immediately, all three of them ran to her side, squealing excitedly. Zack, Roxas and Ven all laughed, watching them go.

"Hey! Sora!" Zack called, looking up the stairs. "Stop sucking face and get your ass down here! You have company!"

Ven snorted, covering his mouth with his hand, while Roxas grinned and raised an eyebrow. So Sora had a girlfriend?

Xion popped her head out from the kitchen doorway, glaring at her father. "No swearing, Daddy!" she exclaimed before disappearing again.

"Yeah  _Daddy_ , no swearing," Sora teased as he appeared at the top of the stairs, grinning as he ran his hand through  _very_  mussed brown spikes. He started jogging down the stairs, and then someone Roxas hadn't been expecting to see appeared behind him.

"Whoa, Riku, is that you?" he questioned, a ghost of a smile on his lips. Okay, no girlfriend… _boyfriend_.

Riku grinned, aquamarine eyes sparkling. "Long time no see, blondies," he said in greeting as he wrapped an arm around Sora. He looked much different than he did when he was nine—he was pretty tall, with lean muscles everywhere, and his short silver hair had grown very long. But his grin was still the same, as were his aqua-colored eyes. They'd become friends easily when Riku would visit Sora back on Madoc Island, since their mothers were friends.

"How you been?" Ven questioned, eyebrow raised.

Riku shrugged. "Pretty good…and I won't ask how you've been because Sora told me what kind of shit you guys have been through," he said in a gentler tone, sighing. "I'm sorry to hear about your dad, guys…and your mom, too."

Ven looked down, sadness in his blue eyes. Roxas swallowed hard and nodded, murmuring, "Thanks, man. It's been tough, but…we're managing."

Zack headed toward the door, keys in hand. "I'll be back in a little, I'm off to the store," he announced, throwing a leather jacket on.

Sora raised an eyebrow. "We were _just_ at the store like five hours ago."

The black-haired man sighed. "We forgot detergent."

"See you when you get back, then," Roxas said, offering a smile.

Zack waved before ducking out the door.

Sora turned to Ven, arms crossed. "So what's this I hear about you hanging around with Vanitas?" he asked, eyebrow still raised.

Ven looked down, scratching the back of his neck. "Is that a _bad_ thing?"

Sighing, Sora motioned for them all to follow him up to his room, conscious of his mother and the three little girls in the kitchen. Once they reached it, the brunet closed the door behind them, telling them to all sit somewhere. He and Riku sat on the bed, and Ven and Roxas both sat on a bean-bag chair.

"Yes, Ventus, it _is_ a bad thing," Sora replied, sky-colored eyes boring into Ven's darker ones. "Vanitas is… _difficult_. And he may say pretty words to make you think he's just misunderstood, but you don't know him like I do. I don't understand why he is the way he is, but I think it's best if you stay away because I don't want him to hurt you."

Ven's eyebrows knit together. "But…but I don't see anything wrong with him, Sora. He's a little rough around the edges, yeah, but he's nice enough to me…" He looked down at his hands, releasing a sigh. "I know he's your brother and all, but what if he really is nicer than you think? What if you're just judging him too harshly?"

"Ven…Vanitas is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Please, don't hang around with him anymore, because he  _will_  hurt you in some way," Sora pleaded. "You're like my little brother, and I couldn't stand it if he hurt you."

Ven met his eyes once more, and there was a slightly defiant glint in their blue depths. "I won't just stop talking to him! Not until he does something wrong. He's my only friend on this stupid island…"

An awkward silence fell. Clearing his throat, Roxas turned his attention to the two on the bed. "So are you two, like, dating?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Riku pulled Sora to him with a relieved grin, kissing the crown of his head. "Since we were fifteen. Everyone apparently saw it coming but us," he replied with a laugh.

Sora bit his lip. "You guys don't have a problem with that, right?"

Roxas and Ven shared a look before bursting out laughing. "Kinda hard to when we're in the same boat," Roxas responded, snorting.

"Well, I'm only _partially_ in that boat," Ven clarified, scratching his head. "I'm not picky."

Riku grinned. "You're gay?" he asked Roxas. "And you're bi?" he questioned, turning to Ven.

The brothers nodded. "Very much," the older of the two answered, chuckling. "Women are terrifying and complicated, no thank you."

"Have you been with anyone?" Sora asked excitedly.

Roxas smirked. "Mostly flings, but I did have a boyfriend…fucking asshole though," he replied, shrugging. "I've sworn off dating for a little while. Even if I hadn't, it's not like anyone's caught my attention."

"I call bullshit!" Ven exclaimed, grinning widely.

The older blond glared. "I  _told_  you, I don't like him! How many times do I have to say it?!"

"Who?" Sora and Riku asked in unison, the former of the two leaning forward in curiosity.

"Kairi's older brother, Axel!" Ven replied with a smirk. "He has the hots for Roxy and expresses his desires to him  _all_  the time in school, yet Roxy's nothing but mean to him. It's sad, really, but…he totally likes him back, he just doesn't want to admit it. You shoulda seen him today when we picked Naminé and Kairi up, Axel just touched his arm and he went redder than a tomato!" he chortled, earning a smack from his brother.

Roxas glared. "I _don't_  like Axel! He's a pig and a jerk! I mean he might be kinda cute but his personality sucks so no!"

"Oh my god, you think he's cute!" Sora exclaimed, rolling back on his bed and clutching his stomach as he laughed. "Roxy likes Axel, Roxy likes Axel!" he chanted, with Ven joining in.

"Roxas, go for him," Riku told him, grinning. "He's my best friend, and I can assure you that he really isn't that big of a dick. It's all a front because he has a bit of a hard time expressing his feelings…but he's actually a really good guy. He's been taking care of Kairi on his own for the past two years, and now you're taking care of Ven and Naminé on your own…you guys actually have a lot in common. You should try and get to know him."

Roxas crossed his arms, glaring. "Nuh-uh. I don't have time for idiots, not when I have my hands full playing parents…no boyfriends."

"Rox, you can't stop _living_ ," Ven muttered. "It's not like I'm a kid, you have me to help take care of Nami. Do something fun like you used to, you're acting like an old man."

"Ven's right, Roxas," Sora chimed in. "And Axel really isn't a bad guy, I promise. Like Riku said, he's just not good at expressing his feelings and shit like that. Just try talking to him or hanging out or something!" He grinned. "And who said he had to be your boyfriend? There  _is_  such a thing as friends with benefits!"

Ven snorted. "Roxas knows that one very well…remember Hayner?"

Both Sora and Riku burst out laughing. "Oh my god, you and Hayner?!" the brunet practically screeched.

Roxas blushed. "We were experimenting together, okay? We were like sixteen!"

"Oh man, that's rich!" Sora exclaimed. "So you know what that's like, go for Axel! You know what they say about _redheads_ , man," he added with a wink.

The older blond shot him a withering look. "No."

"You know you want to~" Ven sang.

"I can even tell him to cool it a little," Riku offered with a grin.

Roxas' brows knit together. "What does it matter? Do you all want me to get laid _that_ bad?"

"Yes, but not just that," Ven replied, chuckling. "Roxy, I can tell you've been really stressed and unhappy since dad died. You don't act the way you used to…and you deserve to have fun, you're only nineteen!"

"'Fun' just isn't a priority anymore," he grumbled. "I'm fine with my life the way it is."

He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince with that statement—them, or himself.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxas _really_ wants to hit Axel. Ven gets in trouble. Xion's a little badass.

"You all come back soon, _alright_?" Aerith called softly from the door as Ven and Roxas carried two sleeping little girls in their arms. It was just after nine, and both were exhausted.

"We will," Roxas promised, offering a smile.

"You better, we missed you kids!" Zack said with a grin.

"You shitheads better hang out with us soon!" Sora added, leaning into Riku.

The brothers got Kairi and Naminé tucked into the back seat and buckled them in, closing the doors. "Yeah, yeah, we will," Ven told him, chuckling.

"See you guys soon," Riku called, waving.

The two waved back, murmuring goodbyes before getting into Roxas' beat-up car. The older of the two started it up, and then they headed back home in silence. Roxas was still moody over the whole Axel thing, and Ven was just in one of those silent moods he tended to fall into as of late.

Once they arrived at their house, they lifted the sleeping girls from the back and carried them inside, taking them up to Naminé's room and laying them in the bed. Neither of them so much as stirred, and Roxas smiled fondly at them before he and Ven left the room and shut the door.

"I'm going to my room," Ven mumbled before leaving without giving Roxas a chance to reply.

Sighing, Roxas decided he'd head downstairs and watch tv while he waited for Axel to call. Grabbing a warm blanket, he curled up on the couch and used the remote to turn the tv on, settling on watching some anime. He was unbelievably tired, not to mention emotionally drained. Being around Sora's family reminded him of how fragmented his own was, and that was something he just didn't want to think about. Not to mention the fact that no matter what he said, Sora, Riku and Ven hadn't left him alone concerning Axel.

"Stupid red-haired jerk," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. He just wanted to sleep, but he couldn't or else he might miss Axel's call.

As the minutes passed, his eyelids grew heavier. Before he knew it, it was past ten and he still hadn't gotten a call. By the time eleven rolled around, he was barely able to keep his eyes open.

Just as he was about to doze off around eleven-thirty, his phone started to ring. Blearily, he pulled it from his pocket and slid his finger across the screen, lifting it to his ear and mumbling a sleepy "Hello?"

" _Hey, sorry I'm so late, we had a busy night,"_  Axel apologized.  _"Did I wake you up or something?"_

"Wasn't sleeping," he replied, yawning. "I'm guessing you're leaving now?"

" _Yeah, I need your address…"_

Roxas rubbed his face. "138 Twilight Drive," he told him, blinking hard.

" _Gotcha. I'm guessing Kai's asleep?"_  he questioned. In the background, Roxas could hear a car door closing.

Roxas nodded before remembering that Axel couldn't see it. "She fell asleep when we were at Sora's…oh, yeah, we were at Sora's by the way. I probably should've told you we were going."

Axel chuckled.  _"I wasn't aware you knew the Fairs."_

"Sora was my best friend when I was little and we both lived on Madoc Island." He paused. "Aren't you driving?"

" _Your point?"_

"You shouldn't talk on the phone when you're driving…it's dangerous." He yawned again as he said the last few words, pulling the blanket more firmly around himself.

" _Aw, Roxy, you worried about my safety?"_  His tone was teasing, and Roxas suppressed a groan.

"Don't call me that," he muttered.

He heard Axel chuckle.  _"Well, if it bothers you that much that I'm talking and driving, then I'll go. See you in a few minutes,_ Roxy _."_

The blond growled as Axel hung up before he had the chance to snap at him for using the nickname _again_. Was it _so_ hard for people to actually listen to him for once?

Axel arrived around five minutes later, knocking softly. Blanket still wrapped tightly around him, Roxas shuffled out to the door and opened it, finding a grinning redhead.

"You know, you're _adorable_ when you're tired and grumpy," Axel commented as he stepped inside, slipping his shoes off.

Roxas glared. "Piss off," he grumbled, moving toward the stairs. "Follow me, ass."

The redhead laughed. "Still adorable," he sang quietly, ignoring the glare Roxas shot him over his shoulder.

The blond led him to Naminé's room and slowly opened the door, finding that neither of them had moved an inch. He stepped aside so that Axel could step inside and gently scoop Kairi up, cradling her against him. Slowly, her violet eyes opened a little, and she yawned.

"Axie?" she questioned, sleep lacing her tone.

That soft smile Roxas had seen earlier returned as Axel smiled at his baby sister, kissing her forehead. "Shh, monkey, go back to sleep. We're going home now," he said quietly, pushing her bangs out of her face.

She yawned again, snuggling into him. "Okay. Love you, Axel," she whispered, her eyes falling shut once more.

Green eyes soft, Axel murmured, "Love you too, kid." He moved past Roxas, who closed Naminé's door softly before following, still slightly awestruck by that smile. God, it was such a perfect smile.

"Thanks for this, Roxas. Really," Axel said once they reached the front door, and Roxas was stunned by the sincerity he saw and heard.

"Oh, uh, no problem. She's a good kid, so I didn't mind taking her," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn't blushing, nope. Not at all…

Roxas was surprised when the soft smile remained. "Well, thanks anyway. Listen…" He raked a hand through his hair, biting his lip. "I'm taking Kairi to the zoo tomorrow, and I was wondering if you and Naminé maybe wanted to come…y'know, as thanks for tonight…"

The blond was slightly taken aback by the offer. Axel was acting so different from usual…

He sighed. "I have to work tomorrow, sorry…" Seeing the slight disappointment in Axel's green eyes, he bit his lip. "But if you feel like waiting until Monday after school, I don't work then…" he offered, wondering why he was even saying it. He didn't want to be near Axel, right?

Suddenly, he wasn't so sure.

Slowly, Axel grinned. "I'm sure Kairi won't mind waiting." He opened the door, dropping a wink. "It's a date, then. See you Monday!" he said before ducking out, leaving behind a dumbstruck Roxas.

"Damn bastard!" he cursed, shutting the door and stomping his foot. He'd just allowed himself to be tricked!

He stopped himself from stomping up to his room, not wanting to wake Naminé. However, once he reached his room, he threw himself onto his bed and screamed into a pillow, overtaken by anger. What had he gotten himself into? Now Axel thought he'd agreed to a fucking date!

_Bastard._

* * *

Roxas was so worked up that he barely slept that night. He had to work from eleven until four, and he was miserable the entire time as he scooped ice cream and pretended to be cheerful. Plus, he was worried since he'd left Ven to take care of Naminé, something that always unnerved him. All in all, it was a bad mix that resulted in one foul mood, and Axel was going to _pay_.

Around three-thirty, his boss approached him. Roxas actually loved his boss—he was a little Scottish man named Scrooge McDuck, and he was always nice to Roxas. He was probably in his late fifties or early sixties, with grey hair that was starting to recede, and his glasses were always on the tip of his nose.

"Aye, Roxas, laddie, ye look down," the man remarked, one eyebrow raised. "Ye have a bad night?"

Roxas sighed. "You could say that, I guess."

Scrooge offered a smile. "Well, lad, tis lookin' like a slow day, so why don't ye just get going? Get some sleep."

The blond's mouth fell open in surprise. "Scrooge, sir, are you sure? I don't mind staying another half-hour…" he replied, blue eyes wide.

The little man's blue eyes narrowed. "Get, lad, or I'm dockin' ye pay!"

Sighing and allowing himself a soft smile, Roxas nodded. "Thank you, sir."

The older man winked, clapping him on the shoulder. "Ye best be well rested when ye come back in on Tuesday, laddie! Ye look like the dead!" he exclaimed as Roxas took off his hat and apron, hanging them on his hook.

"I will, sir. Thank you again," he said, chuckling.

Scrooge waved a hand dismissively. "I take care of my own, laddie."

Roxas headed out to his car, counting his lucky stars that he had such a great boss as he headed home. What he needed was a nice, long nap…

…which he knew wouldn't be possible once he found an unfamiliar car in his driveway. A spike of anxiety went through him as he looked at the sleek black thing, wondering just who it belonged to.

Warily, he jogged up the walkway and climbed the steps on the front porch, pulling his key from his pocket and unlocking the door slowly. He crept inside, shutting the door behind him slowly and slipping his shoes off. His eyes searched around for a sign that anything was wrong, but the house looked relatively undisturbed other than the dirty dishes in the kitchen sink.

Turning toward the stairs, he climbed them as silently as possible. First thing he needed to do was check on Naminé…

He found his little sister sitting at her desk, humming away as she drew with her crayons. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she was okay, stepping into her room and hugging her from behind.

"Hey, kiddo," he greeted, smiling.

Naminé gasped in surprise. "Roxy! You're home early!" she said happily, turning in his arms to hug him tight. "I missed you," she told him, her voice muffled by his chest.

"I missed you too, monster…hey, who else is here other than Ven?" he questioned, pulling back so that he could look her in the eyes.

"Venny's friend!" she replied, smiling brightly. "Did you know Xion has another older brother? His eyes are kinda scary, but he was real nice to me!"

Roxas' stomach dropped. "Stay here, Naminé…keep drawing," he muttered, letting her go completely and moving toward the door. He closed it behind him, moving toward Ven's closed bedroom door. He was  _so_  dead.

Not even bothering to knock, he threw the door open. He was met with the sight of Vanitas rolling off of his brother, both looking shocked as their heads whipped over to the door.

"Oh _shit_ ," Ven cursed, blue eyes wide. A nervous chuckle escaped him as he reached up to tame his messy hair. "Uh, hey, Roxas…you're home early…"

Roxas' murderous blue eyes moved to Vanitas. "You," he growled, " _out_. I better not catch you alone with my baby brother again!"

The black-haired male sneered at him before grabbing Ven's chin and kissing him deep. He pulled away quickly, leaving a dazed-looking Ven and a homicidal Roxas as he darted out the door.

It was silent for a moment before Roxas exploded. "What the  _fuck_  were you thinking, Ventus?! Even after Sora warned you, you still choose to be around him? You choose to bring him  _into our house_ , when I'm not even here? Were you even watching Naminé at all?!"

"You act like he's the fucking _devil_ , Roxas!" Ven yelled, fury in his sapphire eyes. "If you'd just give him a fucking chance instead of judging him the way you are—"

"Give me your phone," Roxas said quietly, teeth clenched. " _Now_. Don't make me tell you again. You're grounded for the week."

Ventus' mouth fell open, disbelief etched on his face. "Are you _serious_? You can't do that!"

"Damn right I can!" Roxas growled. "I'm in charge, and I say you're fucking grounded! So give me your goddamn phone right now or else you're grounded for _two_ weeks!"

Acid in his eyes, Ven pulled his phone from his pocket and threw it at Roxas, who barely caught it. "I fucking hate you," he whispered, turning away. "Get the _fuck_ out of my room."

Roxas did just that, slamming the door behind him and stomping to his room. He threw Ven's phone in one of the drawers on his desk before pulling his own phone out and dialing Sora's number.

It was answered on the fourth ring by a breathless sounding Sora.  _"Yo, Roxas!"_  he greeted.  _"Sorry I took so long to answer, my phone was in the other room. What's up?"_

"Sora, I need you to tell your prick of a brother to stay the fuck away from Ven," he said through clenched teeth.

There was a pause before Sora swore.  _"Fuck. What did he do now?"_

Roxas took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Scrooge let me leave work early today, and I came home to find your brother straddling mine in his bed! Ven was  _supposed_  to be watching Naminé while I was at work, but instead he invited Vanitas over thinking I wouldn't find out! Now he's pissed and told me he hates me because I took his phone and grounded him for the week…"

" _Stupid fucking Vanitas,"_  Sora muttered, sighing.  _"Dude, you need to chill. Wanna take the kids to the park?"_

The blond thought about it for a moment before agreeing. "When do you wanna go?"

" _Anytime's good. You'd have to pick us up, though, so I hope you don't mind…"_

"Nah, that's fine. I'll get Nami ready and we'll leave now. See you in a few minutes, Sor," he said, sighing.

" _See you then, buddy,"_  the brunet replied before the line went dead.

Roxas went to his closet and grabbed a thin sweater. It wasn't as warm as usual, but it  _was_  winter so that was to be expected, really.

He then headed to Naminé's room, knocking softly. He heard a sniffle before she called for him to come in, and he sighed when he opened the door and found her crying and clutching a broken crayon. Her face was all red and blotchy, and her eyes were puffy.

"C'mere, kiddo," he said softly, kneeling down and opening his arms to her. She immediately dropped the crayon and ran to him, throwing her skinny arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder.

"W-why were you yelling at V-Venny so m-much?" she asked, sniffling.

He rubbed her back, silently cursing himself for losing his temper and scaring her. "Because he did a bad thing, Naminé. His friend isn't very nice, and I told him he wasn't allowed to hang out with him anymore. Ventus didn't listen to me, and I got angry. I'm so sorry I scared you, kiddo…"

She nuzzled her face into his shoulder, hugging him tighter. "It's okay, Roxy…so Venny was a bad boy, then? And bad boys get yelled at?"

He nodded. "Did he at least feed you, Nami?"

Sniffling, she nodded. "He made me a peanut butter sandwich," she replied.

Roxas sighed with relief, letting her go. "Alright. Well, I was just talking to Sora on the phone, and he invited us to the park with him and Xion…you wanna go?"

Instantly, she brightened. "Yes!" she exclaimed, wiping the tears from her face.

Laughing, he ruffled her hair. "Alright, kiddo, grab a sweater. Want me to put your hair up for you?"

"Yes please!" she responded as she pulled a yellow button-up sweater from her closet. She pulled it on and ran back over to him, handing him a hair elastic.

"How do you want me to do it, kiddo?" he asked, combing through the long blonde locks with his fingers.

"The fishytail!" she exclaimed.

_Thank the heavens for YouTube,_  he thought to himself as he split her hair into two sections and started the fishtail braid. He'd learned how to do all sorts of stuff from YouTube after his mom had left so that he'd be able to do Naminé's hair for her.

"Done," he announced after a few minutes, laying her hair over her shoulder.

"How do I look?" she asked, deep blue eyes bright.

He grinned. "You look beauteous, Naminé. Prettiest girl in the world, right here," he told her, lifting her up and kissing her cheek.

She giggled. "Prettier than the models on tv?"

Roxas nodded, laughing. "They've got _nothing_ on my baby sister!"

Squealing with delight when he threw her in the air and caught her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a sloppy kiss to his cheek. "Thanks, Roxy!"

He smiled softly. "Anytime, monster."

They headed downstairs and out the door. Roxas didn't bother tell Ven that they were going anywhere, knowing that he was bound to be sulking.

He got Naminé settled into the back seat before getting in and starting the car. Sora's house was only a few minutes away, so they reached it pretty quickly. Once there, he sent a text, and then they waited.

Xion came tearing out of the house first, a wide grin on her face. Sora trailed behind her, already looking drained, and Roxas stopped himself from laughing.

"Xion!" Naminé exclaimed when Sora opened the back door to help his sister in.

The little black-haired girl squealed. "Hey, Nami!"

Roxas turned his head and smiled at her. "Hey, Shi-Shi," he greeted.

She waved enthusiastically. "Hey, Roxy!"

Sora closed the back door and climbed in the passenger seat, sighing. Roxas raised an eyebrow at him.

"Which park?" he questioned, starting the car back up.

"Uhh…" The brunet scratched his head, thinking. "The one in the public gardens? They have a sweet jungle jim," he suggested.

"Sounds good," Roxas replied, pulling away from the sidewalk and heading toward the center of the city. The huge garden there, named Radiant Garden for its beauty, held all sorts of things—a giant playground, a small petting zoo, a beautiful fountain court, as well as a small lake and many canteens. Not to mention the flowers that seemed to grow just about everywhere. It was one of the main attractions on Asha Island, and it drew in many tourists from all over the place.

"So I tried calling him, but the asshole didn't answer," Sora grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Sora!" Xion exclaimed, sounding scandalized. "No swearing!"

Roxas snorted, while Sora simply rolled his eyes. "Shi, Mom and Dad aren't around so I'll swear if I want. Got it? I'll get you ice cream if you shut up about it…"

The little black-haired girl squealed. "Deal!"

"I just don't get why Ven's being so stupid lately…" Roxas sighed, rubbing his face. "I get that he's having a hard time making friends, but I don't even know how him and Vanitas started hanging out! The only times they'd seen each other was when Ven walked to the university after school to meet me…I caught them talking to each other about something or other. Then he started sneaking around over Christmas break, and I realize now that he was going to meet up with your brother."

"He needs to understand that Vanitas is a really good liar," Sora muttered. "He has a way of making people think he's innocent and misunderstood, but he really isn't at all. I'm really worried about Ven now…"

Peeking into his rearview mirror, Sora found Naminé and Xion leaning forward intently. "Well, we'll talk about it more at the park," he said, motioning with his eyes toward their sisters.

Nodding in understanding, Sora quieted.

They reached Radiant Garden around ten minutes later and helped the kids get out of the car. Taking their sisters' hands, they headed down the pathway that led to the playground. Both little girls were buzzing with excitement, insistently tugging on their older brothers' hands.

"Off you go," Roxas told them once the playground was in sight. Needing no further encouragement, both kids took off, Naminé's braid swinging behind her.

He and Sora found a bench to sit on. Roxas sank down tiredly, rubbing his eyes and yawning widely.

"Dude, you look exhausted…did you not sleep well?" Sora questioned, raising an eyebrow in concern.

Roxas shook his head, sighing. "I may or may not have been tricked into accepting to go on a date with Axel last night…" he mumbled, bracing himself for the excitement that was sure to come.

And come it did.

"Oh my  _god_!" Sora exclaimed, grinning widely. "How? When? Where?"

Roxas groaned. "I was half asleep when he came and picked Kairi up last night. He seemed all sweet and stuff and he was smiling at me in the most perfect way and then he asked if I wanted to bring Nami to the zoo today with him and Kairi, but then I told him I had to work. He looked like a damn kicked puppy, so I told him I was free tomorrow after school if he wanted to go then instead and then he got this grin and winked and said it was a date," he said, burying his face in his hands. "I was freaking out about it all night and got like no sleep, and ol' Scrooge noticed and told me to go home early. I  _was_  going to take a nap, but then the whole thing with Ven and Vanitas happened…"

Sora snorted. "You act like it's then end of the world, Rox…it's not like the two of you will be alone, the kids will be there! And like Riku and I both said, he really isn't all that bad," he told him, chuckling. "He seems persistent from what I've heard, and Axel is never persistent with anyone so…"

"So what?" Roxas questioned, eyebrows knit together. "You're saying I'm special or something because he's trying extra hard to get in my pants than he does with everyone else?"

Sora rolled his eyes. "Roxas, I don't think that's  _all_  he wants. Ever stop and consider the fact that he might genuinely like you and he just doesn't know how else to express it? Because that sounds pretty plausible to me."

"I'll believe it when I see it," the blond muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't even know if I like him—I think he's cute, yeah, but you can think a person is cute without wanting them…and his personality sucks from what I've seen, so unless he starts being a little more serious, I'm not even going to consider being with him."

A quiet laugh left the brunet. "You're still so fucking stubborn, man…I missed you."

Letting out a small laugh of his own. "You're still so fucking persistent…and I missed you too."

A shriek of pain made them both look to the playground. Roxas' stomach dropped when he found Naminé sitting in the gravel, clutching her knee and crying wildly. Xion was immediately by her side, glaring at a little boy and girl.

"Say sorry to my friend!" the little black-haired girl exclaimed, fire in her violet-blue eyes.

A little girl with short blonde hair with two major cowlicks in the front snorted and pushed her, making Xion stumble. Roxas heard Sora mumble "Oh _shit_ , here we go," as he ran forward, unable to get there before Xion tackled the other little girl to the ground and pulled her hair.

"How do you like it?" she yelled, glaring. "Now say sorry!"

Sora pried his sister off, watching the frightened little blonde grab her pink-haired friend's hand before running away.

Roxas scooped Naminé up, shushing her and stroking her slightly messy hair. Her knee was skinned and she had a fat lip on the bottom, and her big blue eyes shone with tears that streaked down her face.

"Aw Nami, you're just having a rough day," he murmured, kissing her forehead. "Are you okay?"

A great sob broke free of her mouth as she buried her face in his neck, making her whole body shake as she shook her head and wailed. Roxas looked to Sora, who was holding an angry Xion in his arms.

"Hey, Nams, would some ice cream make it better?" the brunet asked, moving closer.

Slowly, Naminé looked up at him. Sniffling, she nodded just a little, and Roxas reached up to wipe away her tears.

On the way to the nearest canteen, Xion spoke up. "Sor-Sor, am I in trouble?" she asked, not meeting his eyes.

The brunet grinned. "I probably should be saying yes, but you did a good thing standing up for Naminé. My little firecracker," he said affectionately, kissing the crown of her head. "Just don't make a habit of tackling little bitches to the ground, alright? Not until you're older."

She giggled. "Okay!"

Naminé sniffled, looking over at her friend. "Thank you for protecting me, Shi-Shi," she said quietly, tears starting to subside.

Xion grinned. "You're my best friend, and best friends help each other out! Just like you help me with art class! So I'll help you by protecting you from the bullies!"

Slowly, Naminé smiled. "I'm happy you're my friend, Xion."

Roxas and Sora shared a look, both of them smiling. They were reminded a lot of themselves in that moment—when they were little, Roxas had protected Sora from bullies, while Sora helped him with schoolwork. It was nice to know that their little sisters were looking out for each other in the same way.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxas has a really bad morning, basically.

Roxas rolled himself out of bed at seven-thirty the next morning to get breakfast ready for Naminé and Ven. Popping a few Poptarts in the toaster, he climbed back up the stairs and headed to Naminé's room to wake her up.

"Hey," he whispered, shaking her softly and causing her to shift in her sleep. "Wake up, kiddo, it's time to get ready for school."

Slowly, her eyes opened. Their bright blue was dulled by sleep, and she released a colossal yawn. "Is it morning already, Roxy?" she questioned sleepily, blinking hard and rubbing her eyes.

Chuckling, he lifted her into his arms. "Yeah, it's morning already. I have some Poptarts in the toaster for you, now let's wake Ven up," he said in reply, carrying her out of her room.

They stopped in front of Ven's door, where Roxas took a deep breath and knocked. He heard a muffled "I'm up" and sighed, carrying Naminé downstairs and sitting her at the table. Just as he poured her a glass of milk, the Poptarts popped up. Placing hers on a plate (one blueberry, one chocolate, as per her preference), he set it in front of her, along with the glass of milk.

"Ventus!" he called, sighing as he placed his brother's three blueberry Poptarts on a plate. "Your breakfast is ready!" He poured a glass of milk and set them on the table beside Naminé, turning to the toaster and popping in some Poptarts for himself.

Ven shuffled down the stairs a few moments later, not bothering to acknowledge Roxas as he sat beside Naminé and ruffled her hair, murmuring "Good morning" to her. Roxas tried not to let it bother him, but he hated the fact that his brother was mad at him. Maybe he'd been a _little_ too hard on him…

 _No_ , he told himself, turning away.  _It was for his own good_.

By the time his Poptarts were done toasting, Ven was putting his plate in the sink and brushing past him to get ready. Roxas sighed, sitting on Naminé's other side and taking a bite of his chocolaty goodness.

"Do you need help picking out something to wear, kiddo?" he questioned as Naminé got up, stretching on the tips of her toes to put her dishes in the sink.

She shook her head. "I can do it! But will you do my hair?"

He nodded. "I'll be up once I finish eating." He heard the shower turn on upstairs, signaling that Ven was at least getting ready.

Naminé scampered up the stairs, leaving Roxas to eat alone. He'd gotten a little more sleep that night, but he was still exhausted. He hoped he'd be able to squeeze in a quick nap before he had to go to class at twelve, but he wasn't sure since he still had to finish an assignment and get ready.

He was literally dreading seeing both Axel and Vanitas in school. Axel, because he was still mad about being tricked. And Vanitas because he was afraid he might to something he'd regret, like punch his lights out. Philosophy class was going to be hell.

After finishing his breakfast, he put his plate and glass in the sink and climbed the stairs, knocking on Naminé's door. "Kiddo? You ready for me to do your hair yet?"

"Just a minute, Roxy!" she replied, giggling.

A moment later, the door opened. Naminé wore a little white dress with lacy flowers all over the bottom of the skirt, along with a pair of blue sandals. Her long hair fell in honey-colored waves down to her bum, and it looked as if she'd brushed it.

"Do I look okay?" she asked, looking up with bright blue eyes.

"Gorgeous," he told her with a smile, sitting on her bed and motioning for her to join. Then, in a hilariously horrible French accent, he questioned, "What shall I do with your hair today, mademoiselle Naminé?"

She giggled, covering her mouth with her hands. "Can you do a waterfall braid, Roxy?"

Nodding, he reached for the container of hair things on her nightstand, he opened it up and dug some bobby pins out. He then got to work doing a waterfall braid on either side of her head, pinning them both in the back and letting his hands fall to his lap with a smile. "Fini! C'est magnifique!" he exclaimed, standing.

The little girl laughed. "Thank you! You're the bestest!"

He grinned. "Anything for my baby sister," he told her, holding a hand out for her to take. "Did you get all your homework done?" he asked as they left her room and headed down the stairs.

She nodded enthusiastically. "You wanna see what I made for art class?"

Seeing her excitement, he nodded. She pulled him to the living room, where her pink bookbag sat, and hastily unzipped it. She pulled out her sketchbook he'd given her and flipped it open, going through several pages before she stopped.

"Miss Daisy said to draw a picture of something or someone that means a lot to us," she said shyly as she held it out to him, twiddling her thumbs once he took it.

Roxas blinked back tears as he ran his finger over the crayon drawing, tracing its lines. Naminé really was quite good at drawing for her age…

"Nami…is this me?" he questioned, voice soft. The person in the drawing had spiky yellow hair and bright blue eyes, and the Batman symbol was drawn on the shirt.

Bashfully, she nodded. "You're a _really_ good big brother, Roxy, and you take real good care of me. You make me miss Mommy and Daddy a little less, because you tuck me in and do my hair and kiss my cuts like they used to."

 _Dammit, I'm not gonna cry,_  he told himself, swallowing the lump in his throat as he gently set the sketchbook aside and knelt down, pulling her in for a hug. "Kiddo, I love you _so_ much," he whispered, kissing the side of her head and stroking her long hair.

"I love you too, Roxas," she replied, squeezing him tight.

The shower turned off, and Roxas let go of Naminé and led her to the couch. "C'mon, we can watch cartoons 'till Ven's ready."

Her face lit up as he turned the tv on and flipped through the channels until he found some cartoons. Naminé snuggled into his side, eyes intent on the tv, while Roxas kept a close watch on the clock to make sure Ven wasn't taking too long.

At almost eight-thirty, Ven finally appeared at the foot of the stairs. His hair was gelled into spikes, and Roxas was ninety percent sure that he was wearing eyeliner. He wore a pair of faded black jeans along with a Bullet for my Valentine shirt, and he had one headphone in his ear.

"Alright kiddo, time to go," Roxas said, heaving himself up. Naminé followed behind, and he switched the tv off before heading to the door and slipping a pair of shoes on. Naminé pulled her backpack on, assuring Roxas that she had a sweater in case she got cold.

Keys in hand, the eldest Strife ushered his siblings out the door, locking it behind him and jogging down to his car. Naminé slipped in the back, while Ven sullenly sat in front and pointedly glared out the window, teeth obviously clenched. Sighing, Roxas shook his head and started the car, backing out of the driveway and heading towards Naminé's school. It was the closest, and he silently wished he could have dropped Ven off first so that he wouldn't have to deal with the awkward drive alone with him once Naminé was gone. But gas was expensive, so he couldn't really afford to backtrack.

"I'll be here at three-thirty, kiddo," he told Naminé as she got out of the car, slinging her bookbag onto her shoulders.

She grinned. "See you then, Roxy! Bye Venny!"

"Bye, Nami," Ven said quietly, not bothering to look back at her.

Roxas pointed toward a car that was ahead of them a little, smiling. "Look, there's Kairi. Why don't you walk in with her?"

Her entire face lit up. "Okay! Love you both!"

"Love you too," the brothers replied in unison before the door closed. They watched Naminé run up to Kairi and hug her before taking her hand and tugging her toward the front doors.

Axel was getting back in his car when Roxas drove by, and he waved and grinned in that infuriating way of his. Roxas rolled his eyes and grudgingly waved back before pulling out of the parking lot and heading toward the high school.

After a moment of oppressive silence, Roxas sighed. "Look, just so you know, Naminé and I are going to the zoo with Axel and Kairi after school, so you're gonna be home alone for a while. I  _expect_  you to restrain yourself from doing anything stupid while we're gone, alright?"

Ven snorted. "Yeah, whatever, Roxas. Stop treating me like a fucking _baby_ , I realize I made a mistake," he growled, crossing his arms.

The older blond took a deep breath, willing himself to stay calm. "I'm just looking out for you, Ventus. You may not realize it now, but you will someday and you'll thank me for it."

Ven turned to look at him, blue eyes narrowed. "Stop trying to act all high and mighty, like you _know_ shit. Because you don't know anything, Roxas, you're just being a judgmental asshole. And you're trying _way_ too hard to act like dad, so just stop…because you aren't dad, and you _never_ will be."

Roxas recoiled slightly, mouth falling open. He pulled up in front of the school then, and Ven threw the door open and hurried out.

Just as he was about to close the door, Roxas quietly said, "I love you."

The younger blond rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever," he muttered before shutting the car door harder than necessary and stalking off, lifting his other headphone to his ear and jogging up the front steps.

Closing his eyes and clutching the steering wheel tightly, Roxas took several deep, calming breaths before pulling away and driving home. It seemed Ven was angrier than he'd originally thought—normally, no matter how mad he was, he'd always say "I love you too" if Roxas said it first.

And Roxas would be lying if he said it didn't hurt.

* * *

Much to his dismay, Roxas hadn't gotten around to taking a nap. He'd been too distracted when he was trying to work on his assignment and get it done, which resulted in him taking way longer than he'd needed to and rushing to shower and look presentable for school…

In short, he made it to class with only a few minutes to spare. Thankfully, his friend Demyx had saved him a seat, which he sank down into with a heavy sigh.

"Dude, you're later than usual. What's up with that?" the green-eyed blond questioned, one eyebrow raised.

Roxas rubbed his face. "Rough morning," he replied, setting his bag on the floor beside him. "I've been in a fight with my brother since yesterday and it just keeps getting worse."

"Sweet little Ven?" Demyx questioned, sounding shocked. "What happened?"

Roxas' eyes found a head of spiky black hair, and they narrowed. "That bastard happened," he growled.

Demyx followed his gaze, eyes widening. "Vanitas? What did Vanitas do?"

"He's been hanging around with Ven, and I keep telling Ven to stay away but he isn't listening," he responded, sighing. "Yesterday, I got home a little early from work to find the bastard straddling my brother in his bed, so needless to say I was pretty pissed. I kicked him out and took Ven's phone and he told me he hated me."

"Shit, man, that's rough," Demyx whistled, shaking his head.

Roxas nodded. "To top it all off, I accidentally agreed to a sort-of date with Axel tonight," he groaned, laying his head on his desk.

"Oh my god," Demyx snorted, muffling his laughs with his hand. "How did that one happen?"

"I was half asleep and he was picking his little sister up from my house. He invited me and my sister to the zoo with them, and then he was like 'It's a date' and winked and then just left before I could say anything!"

Before Demyx could say anything in reply, the professor called the class to order and started his boring lecture.

* * *

"I swear, Luxord just  _loves_ to hear himself talk," Demyx grumbled as they exited their classroom. "I almost fell asleep halfway through!"

Roxas snorted. "Halfway? Dem, you started nodding off within _five minutes_."

Demyx rolled his eyes. "Well, it was boring! I took this music class expecting it to be _fun_ , but those lectures are torture," he muttered.

Roxas shook his head in amusement, clapping his friend on the back. "C'mon, let's get going. I don't think Xaldin would appreciate us being late for his class," he said, pulling his taller friend down the hall to their Studio Arts class. It was arguably Roxas' favorite class, and Xaldin was a good teacher.

It was then that he felt a forceful shove from behind. Turning, he immediately glared when he found a smirking Vanitas. "Oops," the black-haired teen said, amusement in his eyes. Eyes that should have been emerald green like his mother's, but were covered by golden contact lenses. "Sorry about that, Rox-ass. Didn't see you there."

A growl left the spiky-haired blond. "Fuck off, Vanitas."

A slim black eyebrow shot up. "Or what? You gonna _make_ me?" he taunted, leaning closer. His eyes narrowed. "Don't fuck with me, Strife."

Roxas snorted. "You think you're _so_ fucking tough, Vanitas, but you don't scare me. Now stay the fuck away from my baby brother, or we're gonna have a problem. After all, he  _is_  underage and I'd  _hate_  to see you thrown in jail," he smirked, crossing his arms.

Vanitas rolled his eyes. "Ven's a big boy, he can make his own decisions…and he's awfully good with that mouth of his, I'm not ready to let him go _just_ yet."

Just as Roxas was winding his arm back to punch the stupid smirk off his face, arms wrapped around his middle. He struggled, but it was to no avail. "Demyx, let me go!" he nearly screeched, a murderous look in his eyes.

"Vanitas, walk away." Roxas froze when he realized that the voice that spoke was not Demyx's. And when he looked down at the arms that were around him, they were bare…Demyx was wearing a long-sleeved shirt.

Vanitas chuckled. "Damn, and it was just getting good, too. Oh well, we'll continue this some other time," he said before turning, waving over his shoulder and disappearing down a hallway.

"Demyx," Axel murmured, pulling a struggling Roxas toward a bathroom. "Your next class is with Roxas, right?" At Demyx's nod, he continued. "Tell your teacher Roxas isn't feeling too well and may not make it to class, alright?"

"Gotcha," the tall blond replied before dashing away.

Axel let go of Roxas once they were safely inside the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind him. Immediately, the blond punched the wall, recoiling and hissing in pain immediately.

Axel sighed. "Now _why_ did you just do that?" he asked, shaking his head as he moved closer. Roxas backed away, not wanting to be near the redhead in the mood he was in.

"Because I'm fucking _pissed_ , alright?! Leave me the fuck alone!" he exclaimed, clutching his hand to his chest. His knuckles were skinned from the rough cement wall, and they were even bleeding a little.

"Nuh uh, not until you calm yourself down," the redhead responded, his tone infuriatingly calm.

"Axel, I'm _not_ kidding, get the fuck away from me," he growled, his back hitting the wall.

Still, Axel moved closer, one crimson eyebrow raised. "Sorry, can't do that. Man, you're volatile when you're angry…"

Practically roaring in frustration, Roxas swung his injured fist without thinking. Wincing when Axel caught it in his hand, he gritted his teeth when the redhead just shook his head. "Hey, cool it, _I'm_ not the one you're angry with," he said, still ridiculously calm.

"Like _hell_ you're not! Who the _hell_ do you think you are, thinking you can trick me into a date?! I fucking lost sleep over—mmph!"

Axel's lips descended on his own, effectively cutting him off mid-rant. His whole body froze, shocked by the redhead's actions, and his brain basically fried because  _holy hell Axel was a fantastic kisser._

He found body responding without his permission, eyes falling shut as he sagged into the heated kiss. His arms wrapped around the tall redhead's neck, tangling in his hair as his lips moved feverishly with Axel's. He hadn't been kissed like that in  _way_  too long, and he was hungry for that kind of contact. He could have tried to deny it all he wanted, but he  _liked_  it.

Axel's lips were warm, soft, and surprisingly gentle considering the intensity of the kiss. His hands held Roxas' hips loosely, but tight enough for him to be conscious of it. Their chests were pressed together, and the blond swore he could feel the muscles there.

His mouth opened without his consent when Axel's tongue slid along the seam of his lips. He resisted the urge to moan as it slid against his own tongue, exploring all the crevices and tickling the roof of his mouth. Nothing but the sheer sensation was registering within Roxas' mind—he couldn't think straight.

They separated to breathe, and a soft chuckle escaped Axel as he pressed their foreheads together. "Damn. I didn't think it was going to work, but it shut you up," he breathed, acid eyes impossibly bright.

Roxas blinked, realizing exactly what had just transpired.

_Holy shit._

Gasping in anger, he shoved the redhead away, bringing his hand up to slap him across the face without thinking twice. When he spoke, his tone was venomous. "Don't  _ever_  fucking kiss me like that without my permission again," he said, his voice low with anger. "Pull anything like this at the zoo, and I'm chopping your fucking nuts off."

With that said, he brushed past a shocked Axel and unlocked the door, stalking out and making his way out the main doors. Screw class, he wasn't in the mood to sit through two more hours.  _Especially_  not Philosophy, where he'd have to deal with both Axel and Vanitas. His hand was throbbing, and he just needed to go somewhere and cool down.

His phone was at his ear the second he sat in his car, listening to it ring before a sleepy voice picked up. "Hello?"

"It's me," he mumbled, wincing as a throb of pain traveled through his hand. "You mind if I come over?"

He heard a yawn. "What for?" He heard the sound of a bed creaking in the background.

He closed his eyes, fighting back irrational tears. "I could just really use my best friend right about now," he whispered, clenching his uninjured hand.

There was a pause before Sora murmured, "I'll be waiting with chocolate and ice cream, buddy."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora is Roxas' voice of reason, and Naminé _really_ wants a monkey.

The second Roxas knocked on the door, it was opened and Sora was hugging him. He felt his body sag into his friend's as he did his best to hold back tears, not wanting to break down.

"C'mon, I have the goods in my room," the brunet murmured, pulling him inside. Roxas kicked his shoes off and let himself be pulled up the stairs, sitting on Sora's bed once they reached his room and burying his face in his hands.

"What did I ever do to get so fucked over by everything?" the blond whispered as Sora shut the door before joining him on the bed, wrapping an arm around him and giving him a squeeze.

"What happened, Rox?" he asked softly, concern in his sky-colored eyes.

Roxas took a deep breath. "Where to fucking start?" he asked rhetorically, letting out a frustrated sigh. "First of all, Ven's still really mad at me. Like, madder than I thought, because when I dropped him off at school and told him I loved him, he didn't say it back. Then I couldn't take a nap because I had to finish an assignment and I was too distracted to get it done quickly. Then I had to sit through a boring lecture, and when I was on my way to my next class your fucking asshole of a brother almost knocked me over. On purpose. Then things escalated, I nearly punched him, and Axel stopped me by dragging me into a bathroom and locking the door. I then punched the wall, he wouldn't leave me alone, and then he fucking had the  _nerve_  to kiss me. I slapped him and now I'm here and I'm just having a really bad morning…"

"Jesus, Rox…" the brunet said quietly, hugging him tighter. "Ven needs to smarten the hell up, and so does Vanitas. And, well…did you not enjoy the kiss or something?"

Roxas squeezed his eyes shut. " _That's_  the problem, Sora. I enjoyed it too much. We made out for like, five minutes…I couldn't stop myself. But dammit, I don't want to deal with this shit!"

Sora was silent for a moment before delicately speaking again. "If you liked it, Roxas, then I don't see what the problem is…"

When his eyes reopened, there was anguish in them. "Because  _I didn't want to like it_! Sora, my life is fucked up enough lately without adding  _him_  to the mix…I'm already stretched so thin, I don't have time for whatever it is I feel for him!" he exclaimed, eyes burning as he clenched his fists. Wincing when pain shot through his injured hand, he swore and held it to his chest.

Sora stood, gently pulling Roxas with him. "Let's start by getting your hand bandaged up, and then we'll go from there."

* * *

Once his hand was taken care of, they cracked open the tub of ice cream and dug in, opening chocolate bars and dipping them occasionally. Roxas felt relief to be in the presence of his best friend—it helped him forget just how shitty his day was turning out to be, because Sora was just the type of person that could do that.

"Now," Sora began, swallowing the chocolate in his mouth before continuing. "You need to stop stressing about Axel and just let whatever happens happen. I know you _think_ you have no time for a boyfriend," he said, seeing Roxas about to protest, "but I honestly think Axel would be more of a help to you than a hindrance. Remember, he's in the same kind of situation as you are, Rox. He obviously knows what it's like, he's been looking after Kairi on his own for almost three years. Give him a little credit, okay? Just…stop overthinking and let things happen on their own. If you two are meant to be together, then you'll be together. If not, then you can be friends at least and just  _coexist_  for god's sake. No more irrational hate, okay?"

Sighing, Roxas looked up. "Can't I just keep avoiding it?" he begged, scooping ice cream onto his chocolate bar and taking a bite.

Sora rolled his eyes. " _No_ , because avoiding it is stressing you out more than accepting it would. Just go with the flow, jeez."

The blond ran a hand through his hair, deciding not to dispute it further. "Okay, but what about Ventus? I have no idea what to do about him right now…"

At that, the brunet sighed deeply. "I can't understand him, Rox…but I suppose he's just going through a phase. This whole situation must be really hard on him, and he's clinging to Vanitas because he has no other friends yet. I'm sure he'll make friends at school soon enough, and maybe that will keep him away from my prick of a brother…"

"I hope you're right," Roxas murmured, leaning back against the wall. "I just…I don't want him to be mad at me anymore. I'm just trying to do what's best for him."

"I know you are…and he'll realize it someday," he assured him, offering a smile. "For now, you just have to be patient with him. And, as much as I hate to admit it…loosen the leash a little. The more you tell him he can't do something, the more he's gonna wanna do it. So…ugh, so _let_ him hang out with Vanitas. He'll realize soon enough that he's a jerk."

Roxas' eyes narrowed. "And let that prick be all over my brother? Fuck no!"

Sora sighed again, rubbing his face. "Rox, it's all you can do. Ven's a rebellious teen—he isn't going to listen to you. So wouldn't you rather be on good terms with him? Give him rules of course, but don't outright forbid him…"

The blond crossed his arms, looking sullen. "Dammit, Sora, why are all of your solutions to my problems ones I don't like?"

Sora cracked a smile. "The only reason you don't like them is because you know I'm right. You never _did_ like being wrong."

Roxas 'hmphed', biting off another piece of chocolate and scooping a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth. "Whatever."

The brunet chuckled. "Hey, don't be grumpy because I solved all of your problems. I can't help being good at this," he teased, nudging Roxas.

The blond rolled his eyes, reluctantly smiling. "Shut up and eat your ice cream, dickhole."

* * *

Roxas felt much better when he left Sora's to pick Naminé up from school. As much as he hated to admit it, the brunet  _was_  right about everything, and he was going to do his best to take the advice given to him.

Which was why, as he parked in the parking lot to wait for his sister, he pulled his phone from his pocket and searched through his contacts for Axel's number taking a deep breath before hitting talk.

" _Well this is a surprise,"_  came the familiar rasp of Axel's voice.

Roxas sighed. "Look, I'm sorry I slapped you…I was having a bad morning, I hope I didn't hurt you or anything," he said quietly, swallowing his pride.

He heard a chuckle.  _"Nah, I'm fine, it was just a little red. I shouldn't have kissed you like that, I'll make sure to ask first next time…"_

Rolling his eyes and restraining himself from telling Axel to go fuck himself and that there wouldn't be a next time, he instead replied, "Alright…well what time are we meeting at the zoo?"

" _I was thinking around 4…I can pick you guys up, it's easier to just take one car,"_  came the redhead's response.

He sighed again. "Yeah, okay. See you then."

" _I look forward to it,"_  Axel told him before the phone went dead.

Roxas put his phone back in his pocket, letting his head fall back against the headrest. He was nowhere near ready to spend the rest of the day with Axel, not with how muddled his mind was concerning him, but he'd suck it up for Naminé.

Speaking of Naminé, he heard the back door open a moment later and looked back to find her crawling in. She sat her backpack beside her, reaching out to close the door and putting her seatbelt on.

"Hey, Nami…" he greeted, noticing that she was oddly silent and subdued. "What's up, kiddo?"

She shook her head, tugging at the bottom of the jean jacket she had buttoned over her dress. He didn't know how she could stand to have it all buttoned up, it was pretty warm for a winter day outside. "Nothing, Roxy…let's just go home," she said in a dull tone, looking out the window instead of at him.

He hesitated. "Naminé…did something happen in school today?"

She looked down, and her long hair hung in her face. He heard a telltale sniffle before she whispered, "No."

Immediately, he unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed into the back seat, undoing hers as well so that he could pull her into his lap. She immediately clutched his shirt in her little hands, and he felt wetness against his chest.

"Kiddo, what's wrong? Please tell me, I don't like it when you're upset," he said softly, running his fingers through her hair.

Sniffling again, she pulled back slightly and wiped at her eyes. Tears stained her cheeks as she started unbuttoning her jean jacket, revealing a giant red stain in her white dress.

"Nami, did you spill juice on yourself at lunch?" he questioned.

She shook her head. " _I_  didn't…"

His eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "Naminé, did someone spill their drink on you?" A sniffle, then a nod. "By accident?" A small head shake. He clenched his fists, ignoring the pain in his injured one. "On purpose?"

More tears welled up in her eyes as she nodded, her lower lip quivering in the most heartbreaking way. "T-they said I was a f-freak…and Xion was in the b-bathroom when it happened so she couldn't protect m-me. And I-I didn't want her to get in trouble for beating anyone up, so I told her I spilled it on myself. I asked K-Kairi not to tell her either…"

"Oh, Nami…" he murmured, pulling her close to his chest and rocking her gently. "Did you tell a teacher?"

He felt her shake her head. "They said that would make me a rat…I don't wanna be a rat…"

His heart was literally breaking. "Kiddo, you have to tell a teacher because what they did was very mean. Can you at least tell _me_ their names, and I can tell your teacher?"

"No!" she squeaked, pulling away to look at him with wild eyes. "No, Roxy, they'll find out!"

He sighed, reminding himself to stay calm. "Naminé, they can't get away with bullying you. Either tell me or tell a teacher…"

A sob left her, and she looked so terrified that it pained him. "Please don't make me tell, Roxas…"

Seeing the panic in her eyes, he took a deep breath. "Calm down, you don't have to this time…but if they do anything else to you, I want you to promise me that you'll tell someone. Alright?"

Slowly, hesitantly, she nodded. "Alright…"

He hugged her tight and kissed her forehead before placing her back in her seat and buckling her up. "Now cheer up, kiddo, because I have a surprise for you," he told her, forcing himself to smile.

Her eyes widened. "What kind of surprise?"

He shook his head. "Can't tell. But we gotta go home and get you changed into something fresh, and then someone special's coming to pick us up. Okay?"

The smallest of smiles appeared on her face. "Okay, Roxy."

With that, he climbed back to the front seat and started the car.

* * *

Axel arrived at four o'clock on the dot, announcing his arrival with a honk of his horn. Roxas heard Naminé squeal from behind her door, and then she emerged wearing a little white tank top with an owl on it and a black skirt. Roxas had already fixed her hair for her, so he simply held out his hand for her to take and led her down the stairs.

He found Ven in the kitchen, shoving random foods from the fridge in his mouth. Sighing, Roxas let go of Naminé's hand and told her to wait by the front door, making his way into the kitchen and clearing his throat.

"What do you want?" Ven asked as he straightened up, his voice muffled due to the food in his mouth.

Roxas looked down. "I just wanted to tell you that we're leaving now…and I really think we need to have a talk tonight when I get home. I promise I won't yell any more, alright?"

Ven rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, O Mighty Leader," he muttered, grabbing an armful of food and stalking up the stairs.

Roxas ran a hand through his hair, sighing again in frustration as he exited the kitchen and joined Naminé at the door. "Ready, kiddo?" he questioned.

She nodded vigorously, making a small laugh escape him. He opened the door, and Naminé squealed when she saw Axel and Kairi sitting in their car. She immediately started running, while Roxas followed her more slowly. He was steeling himself to be nice to Axel…

Naminé had already gotten in the car by the time he reached it and opened the passenger door, climbing in.

"Hey, Roxas," the redhead greeted in a pleasant tone.

Roxas turned to him, nodding. "Hey, Axel."

"Where are we going? You promised you'd tell once we picked up Roxy and Nami!" Kairi exclaimed from the back.

"Yeah!" Naminé chimed in. "I wanna know too!"

Grinning, Axel turned his head to look at them. "Roxas and I were thinking the zoo might be fun."

There was about a second of silence before the kids started freaking out, squealing and screaming in excitement. Roxas winced and covered his ears, swearing softly when he moved his injured hand.

"Hey, you alright? You punched that wall pretty hard today," Axel said, leaning over to be heard while saying it quietly enough so that the kids didn't hear. There was concern in his green eyes, and Roxas chewed on the inside of his lip and begged himself not to blush.

"Sora bandaged me up earlier…it's just a little sore…" he replied, looking down.

"May I?" the redhead questioned, causing Roxas to peek up at him through his lashes. He was holding a hand out, and tentatively, Roxas nodded.

Axel gingerly took his bandaged hand, lightly running his fingers over it and feeling everything. "It doesn't feel like anything's broken or cracked…" he murmured, but Roxas barely heard him because  _wow_  his hands were warm.

A squeak of surprise left him when the redhead lifted his hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the knuckles with a soft grin. "Don't hit me, I technically asked permission that time."

A reluctant smile pulled at Roxas' lips as he slowly pulled his hand away. "Don't worry, you're in no danger of that again. I feel bad enough about earlier."

"Stop talking, I wanna go!" Kairi nearly yelled from the back, making Naminé giggle.

Roxas snorted, while Axel simply chuckled and started the car. He headed toward the eastern side of town, where the ferry to the zoo laid. There was a smaller island to the east of Asha, and it held all sorts of fun things—a zoo/aquarium, a zipline course, paddleboats, plus an awesome waterpark. It was basically the fun place to go when visiting the Destiny Islands.

Luckily there wasn't a line for the ferry, and they were able to drive right on. The girls chattered endlessly in the back seat, while the two adults were relatively silent. Roxas took to glancing at Axel out of the corner of his eye, studying him. His hair was in its usual crazy spikes, gleaming bright red in the sun. His green eyes were like the color of acid, yet strangely soft and kind. The two purple upside-down teardrops on his cheekbones stood out against his pale skin, and Roxas found himself wondering what they were for. His lips were a pale pink color, with the bottom lip being slightly fuller than the lower.

Roxas didn't know what was so attractive about the man sitting beside him, what made him so damn unforgettable. It was infuriating, really—what was so special about him?

"Done looking at me like a piece of meat yet?" Axel suddenly questioned, a teasing quirk to his lips. Roxas immediately reddened, drawing a laugh from the older male. "I'm  _very_  observant, and you aren't exactly as sneaky as you think you are."

"I…um…I…"

Axel laughed again, shaking his head. "It's fine, I know I'm irresistible and all. Feel free to ogle."

The blond rolled his eyes, crossing his arms before looking away. They were nearly at the island after barely five minutes, and he was already wishing the day was over.

* * *

"Roxy, look at the monkeys! Can we get a pet monkey? Pleeeeease?"

Roxas looked down at his baby sister, raising an eyebrow. "Nami, monkeys aren't pets."

"Yeah they are! I saw it on tv!" she protested, pouting.

Sighing (and damning the existence of the television), he shook his head. "We can't get a pet monkey, Naminé. They're probably very expensive."

Her face fell, and he silently cursed. "Hey, maybe you can get a hamster or something. Would you like that?"

She lit up immediately, blue eyes sparkling. "Yes!" she exclaimed.

"You realize you're actually going to have to get her one now, right?" Axel questioned, his voice low in Roxas' ear. The blond jumped a little from the proximity, sighing again.

"Yeah, I know," he muttered back, watching as Naminé excitedly pulled Kairi to the next animal enclosure. The two adults followed languidly behind.

"You should have said fish. They're so much easier to take care of," the redhead told him, grinning.

Roxas crossed his arms over his chest, glaring down at the ground. "Damn."

Axel snorted. "I'm sure she'd be content with a few fish instead of one hamster."

"I hope so…hamsters smell bad," he grumbled.

"You're cute when you pout."

He switched his glare to the redhead, who was grinning and looking unabashed. "Shut up," he mumbled, blue eyes stormy.

Axel slung an arm around his shoulders lazily, making their height difference painfully obvious. "Aw, Roxy, that's a compliment. I'm just telling the truth."

The glare worsened. "Well I'm about to get real _adorable_."

Eyes widening marginally, Axel hastily lowered his arm, moving slightly away. "For someone so small," he began, one eyebrow raised, "you're awfully frightening. Sheesh, wouldn't wanna mess with you."

Roxas smirked. "Damn right…just don't piss me off." Then he realized what Axel said. "And hey! I'm not small!"

The redhead grinned, laughing. "Roxas, you reach like my collarbones," he pointed out. "You're…compact. It's cute."

Pouting once more, Roxas crossed his arms. "Maybe you're just freakishly tall, asswipe."

Axel snorted. "Touché."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out a little of Axel's backstory, and Roxas and Ven talk things out.

When they left the zoo a few hours later, the sun was sinking low in the sky. Naminé clutched a giant monkey plushie, while Kairi had chosen a seahorse. Both were buzzing excitedly about their new toys, eating the sea salt toffee that Axel and Roxas had bought for them.

"You hungry?" Axel questioned, raising an eyebrow. "I happen to be a great cook."

Remembering Sora's words, Roxas hesitantly agreed. "Sounds good to me…is that okay with you, Naminé?"

"Yes!" the little blonde exclaimed from the back, giggling. "Axie makes  _really_  yummy food!"

"Guess it's settled, then," Roxas said with a chuckle.

Axel glanced over at him in surprise. "Wow, that easy? I thought I'd have to beg and cry to get you to come. I know you aren't exactly my biggest fan…"

Shamefully, Roxas looked down at his folded hands. "Look, I'm sorry about my attitude…Sora talked some sense into me today and made me realize that I've kind of been a jerk to you."

Laughing, the redhead waved a hand dismissively. "I deserve it most of the time, don't be sorry. I wouldn't change you…you've got fire, Roxas, and I like that," he told him, sounding earnest. "You aren't afraid to speak your mind. It's rare to come across people like that."

The blond blushed. "Well…thanks, I guess," he murmured, smiling the smallest bit.

Once they got off the ferry, it was only a few more minutes before they reached Axel's apartment complex. The kids ran ahead, giant plushies in hand, and they already had the elevator open once Axel and Roxas caught up. When they actually reached the apartment, they ran into Kairi's room and shut the door.

Which left Roxas and Axel standing awkwardly together at the door.

"You want a drink?" Axel asked after a moment, motioning to the kitchen.

"Sure," replied Roxas, following him.

Axel grabbed a can of pop from the fridge and tossed it to him, nodding toward the small table. "Go ahead and sit. You like spaghetti?"

The blond nodded. "Love it, actually. I haven't had it in a while though, since mom…well, since my mom left." He looked down, biting his lip.

The redhead grabbed a pot and started filling it with water. "My dad left…I know what it's like to be angry at someone but miss them at the same time. Sucks, doesn't it?" he questioned, chuckling humorlessly.

"Tell me about it," Roxas muttered, sighing. "I just…I don't know how she could abandon us like this. Especially Naminé…losing dad was hard enough without this."

As he gathered supplies for sauce, Axel paused. "If you don't mind my asking…what happened to your dad?"

"He died a few months back," the blond replied, voice soft. He swallowed hard. "Car accident. He apparently died on impact. Mom lost her marbles a little, had to go on antidepressants and shit, but it didn't help. She moved us here and then left a week later because we all look too much like my dad for her to deal with."

Axel looked over at him, green eyes soft. "I'm sorry to hear that…that's terrible." He bit his lip. "When I was sixteen, my mom died. Ovarian cancer…it happened really fast, like four months. The doctors caught it too late. Kairi was only two, so she never really got to know her."

Roxas' brow furrowed. "Oh, wow…that's so sad," he murmured.

The redhead shrugged. "It was her time, I guess. I still miss her and all, but…she isn't in pain anymore. I've had time to accept that."

Roxas nodded in agreement, leaning back in his chair. "And…what happened with your dad? Why did he leave?" Axel tensed, and Roxas immediately spoke again. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I understand if it's too hard or too personal or something," he said rapidly.

The redhead's shoulders relaxed, and he took a deep breath. "Nah, it's fine…my dad left almost three years ago. After mom died…he was different. I mean, for a little while, he was still my dad…but then he started drinking more and more, and then he started getting physical. Only with me, he thankfully didn't go near Kairi…I probably would have killed him if he had.

"One day, I came home, and he was just… _gone_. There was a note on the table that said he couldn't do it anymore, that he was fucked up and he knew it. I think he left because he didn't want to hurt me anymore, but didn't know how else to stop." He finished with a shrug, focusing on his cooking. "Kairi and I are better off without him."

"Oh my god…" Unable to help himself, Roxas stood and made his way over to the redhead, wrapping his arms around him from behind.

Axel froze. "What are you doing?"

Roxas resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It wasn't the time. "Hugging you, what else does it look like?"

A soft chuckle escaped the redhead. "I guess I'm just surprised that you're willingly touching me."

Roxas snorted. "Shut up and just accept my hug, dickhead."

Axel turned in his arms, hugging Roxas back. "I can do that. I can't remember the last time I actually hugged someone that wasn't a kid," he commented, laughing a little.

"Seeing as Sora frequently attacks me with hugs, I can't say the same," Roxas told him, grinning.

They hugged for a moment longer, too long for it to be considered just 'friendly', before Roxas pulled away and cleared his throat. "Need some help cooking? I can follow simple directions," he said with a toothy grin.

Axel laughed. "You can grate all the cheese," he replied, gesturing to the block of mozzarella.

"Gotcha," Roxas responded, grabbing the cheese and the grater.

The two worked in silence for a little, with Axel working on making sauce and Roxas diligently grating cheese.

One thing was still bugging him, and it was something he wanted to ask Axel about. "Hey, Axel…?"

Without looking up, the redhead inquired, "Hmm?"

"Has Kairi ever been bullied at school?" he asked.

Pausing, Axel looked over at him. His brow was furrowed. "No…why?"

Roxas sighed. "Naminé was bawling her eyes out when she got in the car today because some little fucker purposely spilled red juice all over the front of her white dress. And yesterday, Sora and I took her and Xion to the playground at Radiant Garden, and these two little bastards pushed her down and made her cry. I'm just…I'm worried about her, and she won't tell me or a teacher who did it to her. I'm scared it's just going to get worse."

Axel's eyes narrowed. "Little fuckers…who could ever pick on her? She's so sweet…"

Roxas shrugged, looking down sadly. "She said they called her a freak, and she was upset because Xion was in the bathroom when it happened and after yesterday, Xion promised to protect her from bullies. She also said that Kairi saw who it was, but she convinced her not to tell…"

"I can try to find out from Kairi and then let you know," the redhead offered, eyes still narrowed. "Kids are such little pricks sometimes, I can't stand them…"

"I'd appreciate it," Roxas replied. He ran his uninjured hand through his hair, exhaling deeply. "I just feel _so_ bad for her…back on Madoc Island, she was made fun of a lot. She didn't have any friends, either, because she's a little offbeat and doesn't really know how to act around people her age…I thought that maybe the move would be good for at least her, and in a way it is because she finally has some friends, but…she's still being bullied, and I just don't know what to do about it."

"Poor kid…" Axel murmured, eyes sad. "I'll do my best to find out the names from Kairi. Naminé is a good little kid, and she just really doesn't deserve shit like that. Especially not now."

"Thank you…" the blond whispered, returning his attention to the cheese in front of him.

They continued in silence. Axel soon started cooking the noodles and sauce, and he directed Roxas to butter the garlic bread and put cheese on it. Soon, the apartment was filled with the heavenly smell of food, and then it was time to eat.

Roxas nearly moaned when he tasted the spaghetti. "Oh my god, Axel…where the hell did you learn to cook?"

Axel just smirked, while Kairi giggled. "Axie works in the kitchen at a restaurant! And he's gonna be a chef!"

"So you're in the culinary program?" Roxas questioned, genuinely curious.

Axel nodded. "I love cooking, so I figure it'll make a fun career," he replied, laughing.

"Roxy's gonna make comic books!" Naminé chimed in, grinning widely. She had spaghetti all over her face, instantly making her look more adorable then she already was.

"Ah, so you're an art student?" Axel asked, watching as Roxas wiped Naminé's face with a napkin.

"Yeah…I've been drawing forever, so I figured I'd make a career out of it," he responded, shrugging.

"Roxy taught me how to draw!" Naminé exclaimed, giggling.

The redhead chuckled. "I see."

Roxas grinned at him. "Well you have some serious talent in the kitchen, Axel…you'll be a great chef," he said earnestly, taking a bite of garlic bread.

A surprised smile appeared on Axel's face at the compliment. "Thanks, Rox."

* * *

After much begging from Kairi and Naminé, they headed to the living room after dinner to watch a movie. The girls settled down on the floor in front of the tv, cushioning themselves with their plushies, while Axel and Roxas occupied the couch. Surprisingly, Roxas felt no apprehension at sitting so close to him—after talking to him and getting to know him a little more, he found that he actually liked the redhead's company…as long as he wasn't making suggestive comments every five minutes. But even now, they amused him more than they annoyed him.

They wound up watching The Little Mermaid, since they let the girls pick. A few minutes into the movie, Naminé turned her head to look at Axel. "Axie, you look like Ariel," she said, completely serious. Which of course made Roxas start laughing uncontrollably, Kairi giggle, and Axel pout.

"I can totally see it," Roxas chortled, making no effort to muffle his laughter. "You guys have the same hair!"

Rolling his eyes and smiling, Axel nudged him playfully. "Shut up, blondie," he muttered, green eyes sparking with amusement.

Roxas scoffed. "Make me,  _Ariel_."

A single crimson eyebrow shot up. "Is that a challenge?"

"What if it is?" Roxas questioned, grinning.

At that, Axel stood, instantly making blue eyes widen in apprehension. "Axel, what are you—" was all he managed to get out before the redhead grabbed him and threw him over his shoulder, smiling smugly when Roxas started squirming and demanding to be put down.

"Take it back," Axel said, unfazed by the wild struggling that the blond was doing.

"Never!" Roxas exclaimed, beating on his back with his good fist.

"Tickle him, Axie!" the girls told him in unison.

"No!" Roxas squealed as Axel reached up and started tickling his sides while keeping him on his shoulder. He started practically bucking, desperately trying to free himself of the torture being inflicted upon him.

"All you gotta do is take it back~" Axel sang.

"Axel I will piss on you!" the blond managed to threaten through his wild laugher.

Laughing, the redhead deposited him back on the couch, collapsing on top of him as they laughed together and tried to catch their breaths.

"You're a jerk," Roxas breathed, still laughing breathlessly. His insides hurt from laughing so hard.

"Yes, but I'm a lovable jerk," Axel corrected, grinning.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Get off, fatass. You're crushing me."

"Where's the fun in that?" the redhead questioned, his face only inches away from the blond's. He smirked, eyes glinting in the dark.

Roxas gulped. His eyes kept shifting from the green eyes in front of him to Axel's lips, and his throat suddenly felt  _very_  dry.

"Axel," he managed to whisper, licking his lips. "The kids are still here."

He heard the redhead swear softly before rolling off, returning to a sitting position. Roxas sat up as well, feeling slightly dizzy as he blinked and tried to calm his racing heart.

 _Well,_  he thought.  _That was close_.

* * *

"So, um, I'll see you in class tomorrow," Roxas murmured, shifting a sleeping Naminé in his arms. It was hurting his hand to hold her like that, but he ignored it.

"Yeah…see you then," Axel replied, scratching the back of his neck.

Taking a deep breath, Roxas freed a hand and pulled the redhead in for a hug. "Thanks for today…for stopping me from hitting Vanitas  _and_  for tonight."

He felt Axel chuckle. "Anytime, blondie. Why don't you text me sometime?" he questioned, one eyebrow raised.

The blond felt himself smile. "I suppose I could."

As they were separating, Axel leaned down and pecked his cheek. "Have a good night, Roxas. And sit with me tomorrow in Philosophy, got it?"

Slightly shocked by the tender kiss on the cheek, Roxas simply nodded. "Uh…yeah. Well…see you then."

Axel nodded. "See you then," he echoed.

Roxas closed the door behind him and watched Axel walk back to his car through the window, blinking hard. His cheek was tingling where the redhead's lips had touched it, and he found himself smiling as he reached up to lay the tips of his fingers on it.

Axel really wasn't so bad, he realized. Once you looked past the general idiocy, he was a wonderfully caring person who'd had shitty luck in life. He realized he'd been unnecessarily rude to him, and he actually felt bad about it.

Still smiling, he carried Naminé upstairs to the bathroom and gently shook her awake. "Hey, kiddo, you gotta take a bath," he said softly, watching her eyes open.

She looked around blearily, still half asleep. "Are we home now, Roxy?"

Chuckling, he nodded. "Yep, you slept through the end of the movie and the drive here, silly. Now c'mon, wake up and take a quick bath, then you can go to bed. Deal?"

Tiredly, she nodded. He set her down on the toilet and started running the water into the tub.

True to his word, the bath was quick. He soon had her wrapped up in a towel as he carried her to her room and got some pajamas on her, brushing out her long wet hair. At her request, he weaved it into a French braid so that it would be wavy the next morning.

"Good night, kiddo," he murmured as he turned on her nightlight.

She smiled sleepily, eyelids drooping. "Night, Roxy. I love you."

Leaning down, he kissed her forehead and tucked her in. "I love you too, Nami. Sleep well."

With that, he headed to her door and switched the overhead light off before shutting the door behind him. Making his way down the hall, he took a deep breath as he stopped outside of Ventus' door, reminding himself to stay calm no matter what. Raising his good hand, he gave three sharp knocks and waited.

"What?" he heard Ven mutter sullenly.

"Can I come in?" he asked, biting his lip.

There was a pause before his brother mumbled, "Whatever, you're going to anyway."

Sighing, Roxas turned the handle and opened the door. Ven was laying on his bed, one headphone in as he did something on his laptop. He closed the cover and set it aside, pulling his other headphone out and sitting up.

Roxas just stood in the doorway for a moment, not quite knowing what to say or where to start. He looked up when he heard the younger blond sigh impatiently, finding him glaring.

"If you're gonna talk, talk. If you aren't, then just leave me alone," he snapped, blue eyes stormy.

Taking a deep breath, he closed the door and made his way over to the bed, sitting down. He looked down at his hands on his lap, fiddling with the bandages.

"I'm sorry about losing it like I did yesterday, Ven. I really am," he began, meeting his younger brother's eyes. "But you have to understand that I only want what's best for you, and I really don't think it's him…"

Ven looked away, jaw clenched. "You don't even know him," he whispered, glancing over for a second only to look away again. "He isn't as bad as he seems. It's all an act, Roxas, because he doesn't like people to see the real him."

"And you really think _you've_ seen the real him?" Roxas questioned dubiously, raising an eyebrow. "Ven, he tried to start a fight with me at school today. He purposely bumped into me and pushed my buttons until I almost punched him. Axel had to drag me into the bathroom to stop me. I'm sorry, Ventus, but he's just a dick." He lightly ran his fingers over his injured knuckles, wincing when he pressed a little too hard.

He heard the bed shift, and then Ven's hands were lifting his bandaged one. "What happened? Are you…okay?"

"I…I punched the wall because Axel wouldn't let me out of the bathroom and I was mad. I didn't break anything, it just hurts," he replied, sighing.

"Did Vanitas really try to fight you?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

Slowly, Roxas nodded. "I have Demyx and Axel as my witnesses. I wouldn't lie to you, Ven."

"I don't…I don't understand why he'd do that," Ven said softly, looking down. "He told me he doesn't like fighting and stuff…that he avoids it when he can..."

Roxas wrapped an arm around his little brother, leaning his head on top of blond spikes. "He's probably told you a _lot_ of things that aren't true, Ven." Taking a deep breath, he cleared his throat. "Listen…if you _really_ want to hang out with him, then I guess I can't stop you. Just…don't hide it from me anymore, and _please_ try and hang out with him here when I'm home. I don't want you being alone with him…and I don't want us to fight anymore. We need to stick together, Ven—for Naminé and for us. We need each other, and I don't want our relationship to be jeopardized over stupid things. Life's too short for that."

Ven leaned into him, wrapping his arms around him tightly. "Okay…sorry I've been such an idiot, I know you're only trying to protect me…but you just gotta cool it, Rox. You gotta let me make my own mistakes." He sighed. "And I don't know if I want to hang out with him anymore, anyway. You could have gotten hurt today."

Roxas scoffed, chuckling. "What are you talking about? I would've kicked his ass, Ven."

Ventus snorted. "Sure you would have. You didn't seem to win against the wall."

The older blond scowled. "Hey, it was a concrete wall!"

He felt his brother chuckle. "Still counts as a loss." He pulled away, a devilish glint in his eyes. "So you were locked in a bathroom with Axel, huh? I wonder what could have happened…"

A bright red blush covered Roxas' cheeks, and he groaned. "Shut up…I mean yeah, we made out for a few minutes, but I didn't give him _permission_ …"

Ven burst out laughing. "Oh my god, I didn't _actually_ think you two did anything! Was he a good kisser?"

The blush intensified. "The best kiss I've ever had…"

The younger blond rolled around on the bed, clutching his stomach. "Oh, this is gold! So are you two dating or something? You  _did_  go to the zoo with him and the kids today, didn't you?"

"I slapped him, so _no_ , we aren't dating," he replied, trying to calm his blush. "I apologized though, Sora talked some sense into me. We had dinner at his place—he's a culinary student, and just wow…he's an amazing cook. We talked for a long time, and now…now he doesn't seem so bad. He's been through a lot…"

Ven sat up, grinning. "So are you finally gonna admit to liking him?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "I  _don't_  like him, Ventus!" He looked down, scratching his cheek. "At least, I don't  _think_ I do…ugh, I'm so confused," he moaned, laying back and covering his face.

The younger blond laughed. "Roxy, would it be so bad to date him? You even just said that he isn't all that bad…and I  _know_  you think he's cute, so why not? What's the worst thing that could happen?"

Slowly, Roxas let his hands fall. "It could go horribly wrong and he could just be another Seifer…"

Ven sighed. "Rox…you can't be afraid to date forever. What Seifer did was terrible and ridiculous, but that was  _him_. Axel's a nice guy, from what I've seen, and I think he'd be really good to you. Why don't you just give him a chance?"

Roxas blew his breath out slowly and sat up, closing his eyes. "I just…I don't know yet. Sora told me to just go with the flow and let whatever happens happen. I don't really know what to do other than that…"

He felt Ven's arm wrap around him. "Sometimes, bro…you just gotta take a chance, even if you might end up getting hurt. Wouldn't you rather look back on your life and see more 'oh wells' than 'what ifs?'"

Roxas's eyes opened, and he felt a small smile form on his lips. "Since when were you so wise, little bro?"

Ven shrugged. "It just kinda happened," he replied with a grin. "By the way…can I have my phone back?"

"Absolutely not," Roxas laughed, pinching his brother's cheek. "You brought him into the house when you were supposed to be focused on Naminé, so the phone stays with me for the week. You can take it with you to school, but that's it."

Sighing, Ven nodded. "Yeah, I guess I deserve that. Fine, I'll just suffer without it…"

Chuckling, Roxas grabbed him around the neck and started giving him a nougie. "Damn right you will, punk."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ven stands up to bullies, and Terra saves the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the third chapter i've added today, so make sure you start with chapter 7!

"Ventus, it's time to wake up."

Groaning, the blond shifted in bed and pulled the covers over his head, wanting to ignore his brother. "Five more minutes…" he mumbled, his body hunching up for warmth.

He heard thumps before he suddenly felt weight on his side and insistent tugging on his blanket. "Venny! It's time for breakfast!" Naminé told him, poking his head through the blanket.

Blearily, he opened his eyes and lowered his blanket, finding his baby sister grinning down at him. Smiling tiredly, he grabbed her and tugged her under the covers, chuckling when she squealed and tried to free herself.

"Roxy! Save me!" she pleaded.

Laughing lightly, Roxas stepped into the room, clad in only his sleep pants as usual. "Come on, Ven, you take forever to get ready. Nami and I made waffles, so come on before they get cold. We even let you sleep in."

At the mention of waffles, Ven let go of Naminé and sprang out of bed, wide awake. Giggling, Naminé extended her arms to him, and he hoisted her up before jogging down to the kitchen. He found three plates at the table, piled with steaming waffles. His mouth watered as he set his sister down, rushing over to the plate with three waffles and drenching them in maple syrup before digging in.

"You're coming right home after school today, right?" Roxas questioned as he swallowed a bite of his waffle. "Because you'll be home alone, Nami's going home with Axel and Kairi since I have to work."

Swallowing his food, Ven washed it down with some milk before replying. "Well, I don't exactly have anywhere to go, since I don't know what to think about Vanitas…so yeah, I guess. What time do you get off work?"

"Six, I think…Scrooge only has me in for a few hours today," the older blond replied, shrugging. "So I won't be home too late."

Ven nodded, shoveling more food into his mouth. "I'll just do homework or something until you get home."

They all finished their breakfast quickly, and Ven headed upstairs for a shower. He hummed to himself as he washed, probably taking a little longer than was necessary. He was just happy that his mornings were back to normal—he really had hated fighting with Roxas.

He couldn't believe he'd gotten so angry over Vanitas, but there was something so magnetic about the older man. He was dark, alluring, and being around him made Ven feel  _so_  alive. But if he was going to start causing problems with what little family he had left…well, was he really worth it?

He sighed. He really had a lot to think about…

Turning the water off, he quickly toweled off before wrapping it around his waist and making his way to his room to get dressed. He stood in front of his closet, biting his lip, before pulling out a deadmau5 shirt and dark purple jeans. He dropped the towel and slipped some boxers on, proceeding to pull his clothes on and rub his hair dry with the towel.

He glanced over at his clock. 8:15. He didn't really have time to gel his hair, not unless he wanted to make his sister late.

Sighing, he dug through his basket of hats in his closet and pulled out a dark grey beanie, turning to his mirror so that he could put it on. Once he was satisfied with its placement, he grabbed his checkered bracelet from his nightstand and slipped it on his wrist. He then grabbed his backpack and wallet, slipping the latter into his pocket as he swung his bag onto one shoulder.

Satisfied that he had everything he needed, he left his room and jogged down the stairs, finding Roxas and Naminé watching cartoons again. Roxas had pulled a shirt on, and Naminé was dressed in denim overalls with a pink striped long-sleeved shirt underneath. Her long hair fell in waves from the braid he'd seen in her hair at breakfast, pinned to the side to keep it out of her face.

She grinned when she saw him, blue eyes sparkling. "Venny! You got ready fast today!" she exclaimed.

He laughed. "Yeah, Nams, I guess I did."

She looked to Roxas. "Can we watch the rest of this, Roxy? Please?"

Smiling indulgently, Roxas nodded. "I suppose."

Naminé grinned and patted the spot beside her on the couch. "Come sit with us, Venny!"

He joined his siblings on the couch, smiling when his baby sister curled up to his side. He really loved her to pieces, and he loved spending time with her. He knew she was having a hard time dealing with everything that had happened, and it was when he thought of that that he thought he might _actually_ hate his mother. He couldn't understand how she'd justified leaving her six year old daughter…

The cartoon soon ended, and the siblings headed out to Roxas' car. The drive to Naminé's school was short, and she left with a cheery goodbye to her brothers.

Once they were headed toward Ven's high school, Roxas broke the comfortable silence. "So…Naminé is being bullied," he said quietly, biting his lip.

Ven turned to look at him, eyes wide. "What?!"

The older Strife nodded. "When I picked her up from school yesterday, I noticed that she wasn't herself. When I asked what was wrong…she lost it and started bawling. Turns out some little bastards called her a freak and poured their juice all over the front of her dress…plus, Sora and I took her and Xion to the playground on Sunday, and these two little assholes pushed her down and made her cry. The poor kid just can't catch a break, no matter where we go…"

Ven shook his head in disgust. "I can't stand kids sometimes. Why do they feel the need to pick on her? Nami's the sweetest little girl out there, I can't imagine her doing anything to get on anyone's bad side…"

"The worst part is, she won't even tell me who did it," Roxas sighed, rubbing his face. "She said they'll find out if she tells. I'm worried about her, Ven."

"What I don't understand is how the teachers didn't notice," he muttered, crossing his arms. "Do they not pay attention?"

Roxas shrugged. "Apparently not." They stopped outside the school, and the older blond offered him a smile as he pulled his phone from his pocket. "Have a good day, and _please_ don't make me regret letting you use this for school. Alright?"

Rolling his eyes, Ven nodded. "Yes,  _mother_. I'll see you when you get home from work," he said as he got out of the car, offering a small smile. "I love you, bro."

He watched as Roxas' face brightened. He knew he'd hurt him yesterday when he hadn't said "I love you" back. "I love you too, Ven. See you later."

Shutting the car door, Ven adjusted his bag on his shoulder and strode up the stairs, dreading every step he took. He could honestly say that he hated school—it was full of assholes who were unnecessarily rude to him when he'd tried to be friendly. Now, he just glared at everyone. He wasn't going to try to be nice to people who were just going to be rude to him.

 _Five more months,_  he reminded himself, sighing as he reached his locker.  _I'm almost free._

* * *

His day was going much the same as his days always went up until his fourth period chemistry class.

Their teacher, a snobbish man with long blond hair named Vexen, left the room to make copies of a handout. The students were left to copy notes that were up on the smartboard, which was exactly what Ven was doing until he heard the idiots start.

Only, they weren't directing their teasing at him that day. No, their new target was a rather small slate-haired boy who wore a pair of wide rimmed black glasses. His eyes were a deep, indigo blue, and he was practically drowning in the oversized sweater he wore.

One of the dicks who were picking on him reached out and snatched the poor kid's glasses, and he did nothing but just sit there and look down at his lap. Why wasn't he fighting back?

Ven liked helping people. He hated seeing anything bad happen to anyone, which was probably why he got out of his chair and stalked back to the desk of the kid who stole the glasses and ripped them off his smug, grinning face. The kid looked outraged as he handed the glasses back to their owner.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, punk?" he demanded.

"Frolicking with unicorns, what else?" Ven replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "You assholes should probably leave him alone…and to everyone else in this class, you're all pricks for just sitting and letting this happen."

A few of the other students looked away in shame, while the majority just snorted and went back to their notes.

The asshole he'd spoken to stood, leaning in close and glaring. "I'll do whatever the fuck I want, buttercup." Suddenly, he grinned. "'sides, Zexion and I are good friends, _right_ Zexy?"

The boy that was being picked on, Zexion, simply sunk down in his seat, refusing to meet the asshole's eyes.

"Doesn't look to me like he's your 'good friend'," Ven commented, raising a single eyebrow. "So leave him the fuck alone, got it?"

He saw the other male grind his teeth. "And if I don't?"

Ven's eyes narrowed. "You'll have to wait and see, I wouldn't wanna ruin the surprise!"

Suddenly, the taller male looked past Ven. "Mr. Vexen, he threatened me!"

Whirling around, Ven faced his teacher, who seemed to have returned. "I did not! I was just trying to stop him and his friends from messing with  _him_!" He jerked his thumb toward Zexion, who let out a small squeak and sank even lower in his seat.

Mr. Vexen sighed, rubbing his face tiredly. "Braig, go to the principal's office and take your posse with you.  _Don't_  argue," he snapped, seeing the jerk starting to open his mouth in protest. "And I'll be informing Principal Xemnas, so I  _will_  know if you don't show up and then you and your friends can serve a week's worth of detentions in here."

"This isn't over, buttercup," Braig growled in Ven's ear before pushing past him, followed by his group of followers.

The blond teacher sighed again when they left, turning his attention to Ven. "Ventus, I'll let you off this time. Please try not to get involved with them again, alright?"

Ven nodded. "Thanks, Mr. Vexen." He went back to his desk, only to grab his stuff and move to the seat that Braig had been occupying next to Zexion.

Worksheets were handed back through the rows, and Mr. Vexen sat down at his desk. Just as Ven was getting started on his, he heard a quiet, "Thank you."

Turning to face the boy beside him, he offered a smile. "Hey, I know how mean the people in this school can be…they try and bother me, too, but I don't let them. You just gotta learn to stick up for yourself."

Zexion looked down, twiddling his thumbs. "I don't really like confrontation…"

Ven sighed. "I don't either, but you gotta do what you gotta do." He held a hand out. "I'm Ventus, by the way, but I prefer to go by Ven."

Hesitantly, Zexion reached out to shake his hand. "Zexion…I wanted to smack him for calling me Zexy," he grumbled.

The blond chuckled quietly. "Nice to meet you, Zexion. Mind if I call you Zex?"

The slate-haired boy seemed to think about it for a moment before nodding, a small smile appearing on his lips. "Zex is fine. Are you new here, too?"

Ven nodded. "I moved here with my brother and little sister a couple months ago from Madoc Island," he replied. "This is only my second week at school, though."

"Oh…I just moved here last week from Hollow Bastion. This is my first day here," he said quietly, adjusting his glasses.

Ventus grinned. "Well, it's nice to _finally_ meet someone here who isn't an asshole. Wanna get lunch together after this?"

Slowly, Zexion's face lit up. "That would be great, actually."

"Shut it, fags," one of the kids hissed from somewhere in the class. "We're trying to work."

Ven glared, while Zexion's face fell. "Dicks," he muttered, turning his attention back to his new friend. "These people are gonna do and say things that are mean and hurtful, but you just gotta learn to ignore them. Okay? Don't let them get to you."

Zexion nodded, but he still looked upset.

 _Only another half hour till lunch,_  Ven told himself, sighing and beginning his work.

* * *

After class, Ven led Zexion down to the cafeteria for lunch. The shorter boy was still very quiet, and it made Ven sigh.

"Hey, are you really _that_ upset about what they said? Because I get it all the time, you learn to ignore it," he said softly, blue eyes gentle.

Zexion looked up at him, sadness in his indigo eyes. "Yeah, but is it even true?"

Ven chuckled. "Half."

The shorter teen's eyes widened in surprise. "You're…bi?"

He nodded. "Proudly. My brother's gay."

"Oh." Zexion looked down. "M-me too. Gay, I mean."

Ven placed a hand on his shoulder. "You say it like you're ashamed of it, Zex."

Zexion sighed. "I've only recently started admitting it to myself…and my parents don't know yet…it's still a little hard to say sometimes," he whispered.

"Hey." Ven wrapped an arm around him, hugging tight. "Don't ever be ashamed of who you are, Zexion. There are gonna be people who don't like it, but you know what I say? I say screw them, because they obviously don't matter if they don't like who you are."

Eyes watering, Zexion smiled up at him. "You're the first person to find out who hasn't called me names or tried to beat me up."

Ven snorted. "Well wouldn't that make me a hypocrite? I like boys too, as does my brother and basically all of his friends. It's who you are, and you shouldn't be judged because of that."

Biting his lip, the slate-haired teen smiled wider and nodded. "You're really nice, did you know that?"

The blond grinned. "I try."

They made it into the cafeteria and got in line, grabbing trays from the pile. Ven directed him on what to eat and what to stay away from, which he received a thank you for. Once they'd piled foods onto their trays, they found an empty table and sat down.

"Man, I'm really not looking forward to finishing that chem page tonight," Ven grumbled, spearing a macaroni noodle with his fork. "I hate chem, I suck so bad at it."

Zexion swallowed the food in his mouth. "You want some help? I'm good with sciences."

Ven grinned. "That would be nice. You wanna come to my place after school? My bro works until six, so I'd be home alone…plus I'm a _little_ bit grounded and not sure if I'm allowed to go anywhere…"

The shorter teen smiled. "I'd like that very much. I'll just text my parents or something."

"Hey, buttercup. Hey, Zexy," came a sickly-sweet voice from behind them. Slowly, they both turned, finding Braig standing alone, smirking.

Ven rolled his eyes. "Go away, dickhead."

"Now that's not very nice!" Braig exclaimed, pushing between them and leaning on the table. "Especially not after you two little faggots got me in trouble with the big guy." His brown eyes went dark, the smirk dropping as he glared.

The blond clenched his fists, watching as Zexion looked away. "Watch what you fucking say to us, asshole, and stop being such a dick. Oh, wait, you can't, that's right!" he said, tilting his head to the side and smiling. "I forgot that you are what you eat."

"Why you little—!" With that, he shoved Ven so hard that his chair tipped over, causing him to tumble to the floor and smack the back of his head. Slightly dazed, he was unable to stop the punch that was aimed straight for his face. Or the second. Or third.

But then Braig was suddenly gone, and Zexion was worriedly hovering over him. He distantly heard the sounds of fighting as he blinked to stop his head from spinning, accepting Zexion's help to sit up.

Once his vision had stopped doubling, he found a sight he didn't expect.

Braig was being held by his collar, lifted right off the ground. He looked terrified, and for good reason.

 _Terra_ had pulled him off of Ven.

Terra was feared by everyone in the school. He was older, quiet, and generally kept to himself, but he was huge and had a bad temper.

So why had he helped?

"If you _ever_ go near these two again, you'll deal with _me_ ," the tall brunet growled, causing Braig to tremble.

"Yeah, dude okay! Just put me down!" the brown-eyed asshole pleaded.

Terra did just that, throwing him backwards a little. Braig landed on his ass and scurried away, not once looking back.

Ven's savior moved toward him, kneeling down in front of him and checking him over. "You okay?" he asked, deep blue eyes surprisingly soft.

"I'm…yeah…" Ven mumbled, blinking hard.

Terra sighed. "Alright, come on. You're in no shape to be here…plus, the teachers will probably be here any second and I don't really feel like getting in trouble for making Braig piss himself."

With Zexion and Terra's help, Ven managed to stand. Leaving their food trays, Zexion grabbed both his bag and Ven's, while Terra supported him as they all walked toward the exit.

The brunet led them to an old black Camaro and motioned for Zexion to climb in the back before helping Ven into the front.

"Where do you live, kid?" Terra questioned as he started the car.

Ven blinked. "Uhh…138 Twilight Drive," he replied, reaching up to rub the back of his head and wincing. Everything hurt.

Nodding, the brunet started the car and started driving. It was silent for only a moment before Ven heard him mutter, "Moron."

"Huh?" Ven questioned.

Terra glanced over at him. "I called you a moron. What did you think you were doing, provoking Braig like that? You must have known it wasn't going to end well."

The blond shrugged. "He was pissing me off, and he called us faggots. Zexion's sensitive, and I wasn't about to let him use that language."

Terra shook his head, a small grin appearing on his face. "You're stupid, but you've got guts, kid. Not many people would stick up to that prick…you've earned my respect."

Ven snorted. "Oh my, I've reached my life's goal of earning Terra's respect!" He looked over, grinning. A twinge went through his split lip, but he didn't care. "And the name's Ventus or Ven, not 'kid'."

The brunet smirked. "Whatever you say, _kid_. How did you know my name?"

Ven shrugged. "Everyone knows your name. You're the mysterious, terrifying Terra Blake. Although, you don't seem that terrifying to me."

"I didn't know his name," Zexion chimed from the back, making both of the boys in the front snort.

"Well now you do," Terra said, grinning. "I'm sure it strikes fear into your heart."

Zexion chuckled. "Let's just say I wouldn't want to get on your bad side."

"A wise choice, Zexion." They pulled up outside of Ven's house, and Terra shut the car off. "Is anyone home, Ven?"

He shook his head, regretting the action when it made his head swim. "My brother and sister are both in school."

Terra raised an eyebrow. "No parents?"

Ven shrugged. "Don't have any."

Without missing a beat, the brunet asked, "You got a first-aid kit?"

"Yeah, come on in," he replied, opening the car door and getting out. He nearly tumbled over as a lightheaded feeling washed over him, but someone Terra got out of the car quick enough to catch him before he fell. Looking up, he found concern in his deep blue eyes, but all he could think about was how pretty they were. "My hero," he said with a grin as the brunet helped him straighten up.

Terra rolled his eyes. "Come on, kid."

The three of them made their way inside, and Ven directed Zexion to just leave their bags by the door.

"The first-aid kit is under the kitchen sink," he told the tall brunet, who nodded and headed toward the kitchen while Ven sank down in a chair and blinked hard. Roxas was going to have a fit when he saw his split lip and bruised face…

"Are you okay, Ven?" Zexion asked, indigo eyes shining with concern as he sat on the couch beside Ven's chair.

"I'll be fine, it just hurts," he assured the shorter teen, shrugging. "It was worth it to see his face."

A small smile pulled at the slate-haired teen's lips. "That comeback was brilliant. You're really brave, you know that?"

"More like stupid," Terra cut in as he returned with the first-aid kit, as well as a wet facecloth. Ven stuck his tongue out at him as he knelt in front of him, opening the kit. "Stupidly brave."

"I refuse to be intimidated by idiots like him," Ven said simply, hissing when Terra touched the facecloth to his split lip. "Ow!" he exclaimed, the sound muffled by the cloth.

"Deal with it, _baby_. You brought this on yourself," Terra reminded him, grinning.

Ven glared harshly, while Zexion laughed quietly to himself.

Terra worked on fixing him up, disinfecting his cuts before heading back to the kitchen and returning with a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a cloth.

"I didn't see any ice or anything, so peas it is," he announced, pressing it lightly to the back of Ven's head.

Looking up, Ven smiled. "Thanks a lot, Terra. For getting him off of me and for bringing me home and fixing me up. I really appreciate it."

Looking embarrassed, the tall brunet scratched his cheek and looked away. "Well, uh, I couldn't let him just beat you up like that…"

The blond snorted. "Alright, well…who wants lunch? Since I'm pretty sure none of us got to finish our food."

"I can cook something," Zexion offered, standing. "You know, as thanks for getting them away from me in class."

"That'd be nice," Ven replied, grinning. He looked to Terra. "You wanna stay for a bit?"

Terra shrugged. "I might as well…I have nothing better to do."

With that, Zexion headed to the kitchen, while Ven turned the tv on. Terra settled down on the couch, and Ven took the opportunity to sneak glances at him while the tv distracted him.

He was very tall, with long legs and a muscular build. His chocolate brown hair was slicked back on the top, pointing upward while a few pieces framed his face. His skin was a nice golden color, and he wore cream colored pants with a dark blue top.

His eyes were what hit Ven the hardest. They were the strangest, most gorgeous shade of dark blue he'd ever seen—almost like the color of a stormy sea.

 _Suddenly,_  he thought to himself, smiling secretively,  _school got a whole lot more interesting._


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People kiss, Roxas thinks Axel is really warm, and Sora likes bacon on his pizza.

"Text me when you're off work, okay? I'll come over then," Demyx said enthusiastically, grinning.

Roxas slung his bag over his shoulder, smiling back. "Got it. See you then, Dem."

The cheerful blond left with a smile, headed toward his band class. Roxas headed down the opposite hallway to his Philosophy class, where he was positive Axel was waiting. The thought made him nervous and made his heart flutter just a little.

Sure enough, the redhead was waiting outside the door with a grin. "Good afternoon, Rox. How was your morning?" he asked, one eyebrow raised in question.

"Not bad, actually…yours?" he questioned in return, moving inside the class.

"Can't complain," Axel replied, chuckling. "Kairi was giving me a bit of a hard time this morning, but she doesn't like mornings much anyway."

They sat at a table together. Roxas set his bag on the floor before turning to Axel, biting his lip. "Did you find out anything from her?"

The redhead sighed, shaking his head. "She clammed right up the second I asked. I don't think I'm gonna be able to get anything out of her."

"Damn," the blond muttered, rubbing his face. "Well, if it happens again, Naminé knows she has to tell me. We made a deal."

"I feel terrible for her…she doesn't deserve that at all," Axel said sadly, shaking his head.

Roxas sighed. "I know…at least she has Xion to look out for her. You should have seen her tackle the girl that pushed Naminé down at the playground, I didn't think she had it in her since she's so small. The kid and her friend were terrified of her!"

Axel chuckled. "Xion's a feisty kid."

Professor Lexaeus entered then, causing everyone in the class to stop their chatter. He hated when students talked and could be quite frightening when he was angry, so the students wisely chose to stop all conversations.

Halfway through the lecture, Roxas' phone buzzed in his pocket. Unlocking it, he found that it was a text message from his co-worker, Huey. He was one of Scrooge's three nephews, all three of which worked with him.

_Hey, Uncle Scrooge asked me to text you and let you know that he's closing early, so you don't gotta come in today. He also said he's paying you anyway._

He felt himself grin as he wrote a reply.  _Alright, thanks Huey. Tell him I said thanks too._

Axel nudged him, raising an eyebrow in question. Still grinning, he showed the redhead the message, at which point Axel took out his phone and started writing something.

Roxas' phone buzzed.  _Since you're free now, wanna hang out?_

Chuckling softly, he started typing a reply.  _Well, I already have plans with Demyx, but you're welcome to join us at my place. And since I was looking forward to a kids-free night, how about I text Sora and ask him if his parents mind them going there?_

_Sounds like a plan, Roxy._

Looking over, he glared half-heartedly and mouthed, "Don't call me that."

Axel started laughing silently, and Roxas shook his head while typing a message to Sora.  _Hey, Sor, would your parents mind taking Naminé and Kairi tonight? Axel and my friend Demyx are coming over, and it'd be nice to not have to deal with the kids._

He got a reply moments later.  _They said they'd love to have them over…but if there's a party going on, I want in. Oh, and Riku too._

Grinning, he wrote his reply.  _The more the merrier. Ven will probably like having people around anyway._

_Are you two okay now?_  the next message read.

_Yeah, we talked it over last night. I think he finally gets it._

"Lexaeus keeps looking at you," Axel whispered, leaning close.

Immediately, Roxas tucked his phone back into his pocket and looked up, finding that the professor was indeed looking at him.

He waited until he'd looked away before picking up his pen and writing on a page of his notebook.  _Sora and Riku will be joining us tonight,_ he wrote before sliding it into Axel's field of view. Grinning, the redhead gave him a discreet thumbs up before turning his attention back to Lexaeus. Roxas closed his notebook, a smile on his face.

It was going to be a good night.

* * *

"Why do I have to sit in the back?" Demyx whined, poking his head up between the two front seats.

Roxas snorted. "Because you were too slow."

A "hmph" left the mulleted blond. "You two had class together! Of course you'd both get here first..."

Axel chuckled. "Quit complaining, will ya? I got front seat because I'm cooler than you."

Demyx scoffed. "As if. You only got the front seat because Roxas li—"

" _Okay_ , that's enough of that," Roxas quickly cut in, eyes wide. "Next person to comment on the seating arrangements walks."

The redhead grinned. "cough _Demyx_ cough."

"Oh ha-ha," Demyx muttered, leaning back in his seat.

Thankfully, the university wasn't far from Roxas' house. He was ready to strangle both of them.

"Hey, whose car is that?" Axel questioned, pointing to an old black Camaro parked in the driveway.

Roxas parked, eyes narrowing. "I don't know…Ven isn't supposed to get home for another half hour, and he doesn't have a car anyway…"

The three of them exited the car, making their way up to the door and opening it as quietly as they could. Once inside, Roxas glanced around. "Ven?" he called, biting his lip.

Demyx smacked him. "If someone broke in, you're gonna get us killed!"

"In the living room, Rox…"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Roxas led the other two toward the living room. "What are you doing home so early? Whose car is th—oh, who are your friends?" he asked, blinking when he noticed that Ven wasn't alone. A small, timid-looking boy with slate hair and glasses sat on the recliner, while Ven sat next to a tall brown haired boy on the loveseat. When his eyes rested on Ven, they widened. "And what the _hell_ happened to your face?!" he demanded, rushing over and tilting his brother's face up. His bottom lip was split and puffy, and he was rapidly developing a black eye. A wrapped bag of peas was tied against the back of his head.

Despite his injuries, Ven grinned. "First, this is Zexion"—he pointed to the smaller boy—"and this is Terra," he said, pointing to the brunet beside him. "And as for what happened to my face, well…some dick was bothering Zexion in chem class this morning, and I was the only one to stand up for him. I got the asshole and his friends sent to the principal's office, and he didn't appreciate that. He started bothering us at lunch, calling us faggots and shit, so I said something. He didn't like what I had to say, so he knocked my chair backward and started punching me. Terra pulled him off and brought us here."

Roxas clenched his fists, hissing when he forgot about his injured one. "That _bastard_. What's his name? I'll beat the shit out of him!"

"No need," the one named Terra drawled, grinning. "I made sure he won't come near either of these two again."

Roxas took a deep breath to calm himself, nodding to the teen. "Thank you."

"What did you even say to him?" Demyx asked, perching himself on the arm of the couch beside Ven.

At this, Ventus grinned. "I told him to stop being a dick…and then I was like 'oh, wait, I forgot that you are what you eat.'"

There was a beat of silence before everyone started laughing. Axel stepped forward, holding his hand up for a high-five, which he instantly received. "Kid, you've got spunk." Winking at Roxas, he added, "It must run in the family."

Rolling his eyes, Roxas playfully shoved him. "You'd do well to remember that, ass." Turning to Zexion, he smiled. "Well it's nice to meet you, and you too," he said, looking between Ven's new friends. "I'm Ven's older brother, Roxas."

"You two look like you could be twins," Zexion remarked, smiling.

Ven snorted. "Are you saying I look old, Zex?"

Roxas grinned. "He's definitely saying that I look young." He turned back to Ven's friends. "Anyway, these are my friends, Axel and Demyx."

"Aw, Roxy, I'm your _friend_ now? I feel so honored," Axel teased, slinging an arm around him.

Roxas laughed, rolling his eyes. "You _should_ , dickhead."

Ven started cracking up, and Roxas shot him a sharp look that said "Don't even start". He knew that Ven was tempted to make a comment about him and Axel just by the look on his face.

"So where are the kids?" Ven asked, wisely choosing not to say anything else.

"Aerith and Zack are taking them. Oh, Sora and Riku are coming over too," Roxas replied, grinning. "Are your friends staying for supper?"

Ven looked at both Terra and Zexion in question. "I can stay," Terra told him with a shrug. "If you want."

The younger Strife nodded, grinning, and turned to Zexion. "Zex?"

"I'm sure my parents won't mind," he replied, smiling a little.

Demyx looked at the small teen, grinning. "Might I just say, Zexion, that you have lovely eyes," he commented, lounging back on the arm of the couch.

Zexion's cheeks immediately turned red, and he seemed to hunch in on himself as he shyly looked back at Demyx. "Th-thanks."

The tall blond sat up, grin widening. "Oh my god, this kid is adorable. Can I keep him?"

Zexion squeaked and hid his face, while Axel smacked Demyx in the head and Roxas simply laughed. "Don't mind Demyx, Zexion…that's just the way he is," he said in apology, smiling.

Slowly, Zexion looked up, still blushing. He cleared his throat. "I-it's fine…" He turned his attention to Demyx. "You have pretty eyes too, you know."

Demyx looked like a kid on Christmas morning. "Thanks, Zexy."

The kid blushed harder at the name, while Ven grinned. "Wow, I'm surprised he didn't hit you for calling him that. He told me he hates that nickname."

Demyx's eyes widened as he turned back to Zexion. "Oh! I won't call you that if you don't like it!" he exclaimed, fumbling over his words in an attempt to get them out.

At that, the slate-haired teen cracked a small smile. "It's okay…I don't mind."

The doorbell rang, followed by Sora's loud shouts. "Hey, assholes! Let us in, it's raining!"

Snorting, Roxas jogged to the front door and opened it, finding Sora and Riku standing there. Sora's hair was flat from the rain, and Riku looked like a drowned rat.

"Oh my god," Roxas chortled, moving out of the way so that they could step inside.

"Laugh all you want, asswipe," Sora grumbled. "It's like a downpour out there! It came outta nowhere!"

"I can tell!" the blond laughed.

Suddenly grinning in a slightly frightening way, Sora grabbed him and pulled him in for a hug, instantly getting him wet. When he felt more wetness against his back, he knew that Riku had joined in.

"Nooo! You guys are cold and wet!" he exclaimed, trying to squirm out of their embrace.

"This is what you get for laughing at us," Riku told him, swinging his long, wet hair so that it slapped Roxas in the face.

"Torturing the host? Why wasn't I invited?" Axel questioned, appearing in the entryway.

Roxas gasped. "Axel! Save me! They're cold and I'm getting all wet!" he whined.

Grinning, Axel tapped his chin in thought. "Hmm, I dunno…what's in it for me?"

"Anything!"

At that, Axel swooped in and pulled him free, hoisting him into his arms bridal style. "Anything…?" he questioned, one eyebrow raised as he smirked and started carrying him back toward the living room. His face was getting dangerously close.

Roxas groaned, realizing his mistake. "Yes," he mumbled, sighing in resignation. He was almost certain he knew what Axel was going to ask for, and it involved lips.

"Go out with me Saturday night."

Roxas' eyes widened in surprise. "Like…on a _date_?"

The redhead chuckled. "Your words, not mine." For just a moment, he looked nervous and shy. "I _promise_ I'll be good."

"Say yes!" Sora said from behind, immediately followed by a smack and an "Ow!"

_Let whatever happens, happen._ Eyes softening when he saw the sincerity and nervousness on Axel's face, he nodded. "I suppose I could do that."

At that, Axel's face broke out into a huge smile. "Really?"

Roxas nodded. "Just don't be an ass and we won't have a problem," he replied with a grin. "Oh, and put me down please?"

"Oh!" Axel quickly let him down, chuckling nervously. "Sorry!"

Roxas chuckled. "It's okay…" He looked down, blushing a little. "You're warm, anyway."

"Okay lovebirds that's enough, you're making me sick," Sora mumbled as he pushed his way between them, dragging a grinning Riku who was giving them a thumbs up along.

Laughing, Axel wrapped an arm around Roxas. "Is this alright?" he questioned, smiling nervously.

The blond nodded, a soft smile gracing his lips. "Like I said, you're warm."

They reentered the living room, finding Demyx scanning the movie shelf while everyone else sat down. Roxas and Axel joined Sora and Riku on the big couch, and Roxas saw Ven shoot him a questioning look when he saw that Axel had his arm around him. He simply grinned and winked, making his brother smile and shake his head.

"Dem, what are you looking for?" Axel questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"A decent scary movie!" the tall blond replied, huffing.

Roxas groaned. "Why do we have to watch a _scary_ movie?"

Sora snorted. "Don't be a wuss, Roxy!" he exclaimed, grinning.

"I'll protect you," Axel whispered in his ear. Roxas felt his warm breath and flushed, resisting the ridiculous urge to giggle.

"Aha!" Demyx exclaimed, pulling a movie off the shelf and popping it in the dvd player. He then proceeded to close all of the curtains, drenching the room in darkness. Then, he turned to Zexion and asked, "Mind sharing your chair? I promise I don't bite," he said with a cheeky grin.

"Uh, s-sure," Zexion replied, scooting over. Demyx sat beside him, remote in hand, and started the movie.

The movie was your typical "family moves into new home, only to find that it's haunted by demons" movie. Completely unrealistic, yet filled with terrifying jumpscares. Roxas found himself gasping and jumping more than he would've liked to admit.

At one particularly scary part, he turned his body completely and buried his face in Axel's chest, eyes squeezed shut. He knew he was shaking, but he couldn't stop.

"Hey, Rox, it's okay," Axel said softly, rubbing his back and kissing the crown of his head. "It isn't real, calm down…I'm here…"

He nuzzled his face into the redhead's warm chest, listening to the soothing sound of his heartbeat rather than the screams coming from the tv. He felt incredibly content to be held like that—Axel was so warm and he made him feel safe.

At some point during the movie, the thunder started. Roxas had never really been fond of thunder, so it just made everything worse. Looking around, he found Riku clutching Sora tightly as his eyes stayed glued to the tv, Terra and Ven were watching intently, and Demyx and Zexion had somehow started clutching each other at some point.

"Y'know, I think we should watch scary movies together more often," Axel whispered with a chuckle, drawing patterns on Roxas' back with his fingers.

Roxas snorted quietly. "That desperate to hold me?" he questioned, grinning.

The redhead grinned back. "What can I say? I'm a cuddler. And I like feeling needed."

Laughing softly, Roxas snuggled closer and slung an arm around him. "Well you're a good cuddle-buddy, so I don't even care. God, you're like a furnace…"

He felt Axel's chin rest on his head. "Glad to be of service."

The movie went on, getting more and more ridiculous and scary as it went. The thunder got worse too, and so it was no surprise when the tv suddenly shut off, leaving them all in darkness.

"Oh shit," Ven mumbled, standing and looking around. There was barely any light coming in, so he threw the curtains open. It was grey and getting dark out, so they wouldn't have light much longer.

"We need to get the candles and flashlights," Roxas said with a slight shake to his voice as he reluctantly disentangled himself from Axel's embrace.

Together, he and Ven found every candle and flashlight. They lit candles in the bathrooms and kitchens and all over the living room, and they brought the four flashlights they managed to find to the living room with them.

"You guys wanna order some pizzas? I'm sure that there are places that still have power," Sora suggested, snuggling into Riku's chest.

There were murmurs of agreement from all around, and Roxas went to get a phonebook. "Who wants to call?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Thunder boomed outside.

"I can," Demyx replied, letting go of a blushing Zexion to pull out his phone. Grinning, Roxas handed Zexion the phonebook and asked him to find a pizza place.

While they got that sorted out, Roxas returned to the couch to sit beside Axel. Immediately, the redhead opened his arms to him, and Roxas shyly curled up against him again.

"Does the storm bother you?" Axel asked softly, lips at his ear.

Roxas sighed. "I've never been terribly fond of them…" He looked down, blushing. "I know, it's stupid…"

"Not at all," the redhead argued, hugging him tighter and leaning their heads together. "It's…endearing. And lots of people are scared of thunderstorms."

The blond glanced up at him, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Must you find everything I do cute?"

"Well maybe if you stopped being so adorable, I would," Axel replied with a grin. "And, hey, you aren't ripping my head off for it anymore, so I figure I should take advantage of it."

Roxas leaned his head on Axel's shoulder, sighing. "I really _do_ feel bad about how rude I was to you, y'know…you didn't deserve it. These past few months have just been tough on me…but I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

Chuckling, Axel shrugged. "It's fine, Roxas. Clearly it didn't turn me away, so you don't have to worry. Plus, it was funny to see you all riled up," he told the blond, still grinning. "Seeing how much you disliked me made me want to get your attention that much more. You're a challenge, Roxas, and it's been a while since I've had a challenge. You're so different from anyone else I've ever been interested in…"

Blushing, Roxas gave him a push. "Shut up, ass," he grumbled, burying his face in the redhead's neck to hide his blush.

"Is everyone good with one cheese and one pepperoni?" Demyx questioned, looking around.

There were murmurs of agreement. "We should get bacon on the one with pepperoni, too!" Sora exclaimed.

When there were no protests, Demyx nodded. "Zexy, what's the number?"

The slate-haired teen read it to him before closing the phonebook and setting it aside, turning bright red when Demyx wrapped an arm around him and tugged him close.

"Oh and we'll pick it up," Terra said as Demyx waited for the place to pick up, glancing at Ven with a grin.

"Yeah, I'd like to place an order for pickup, please," the tall blond murmured into the phone, grinning. "I'd like a large cheese and a large pepperoni and bacon." A pause. "Alright, man, you have a good night too." He hung up then, grinning. "They'll be ready in twenty minutes."

"How much are they gonna be?" Riku questioned.

"Thirty-two munny," Demyx replied. "Which means we each contribute, uh…"

Zexion chuckled. "Four munny, Demyx."

The green-eyed blond looked over at him in surprise. "Damn, how did you figure that out so fast?"

Cheeks reddening slightly, Zexion replied, "I'm good at math."

Everyone got their wallets out and passed their munny to Ven, and he tucked it all into his pocket. "Do we need anything else while we're out?" he questioned, eyebrow raised.

"I think we're good…we have drinks and stuff here, they should still be cold for a while," responded Roxas with a shrug.

Nodding, Ven and Terra stood. "We'll be back soon, then," the younger Strife said with a grin. He looked to Zexion. "You wanna come or stay here?"

The slate-haired teen cast a shy glance at Demyx before looking back at Ven. "I think I'll stay here," he answered quietly, smiling.

It was clear that Ven was resisting the urge to grin. "Alright, Zex. Demyx, try not to violate him  _too_  much, alright?"

Demyx grinned, while Zexion squeaked and covered his face. "I'll try my best not to, Ven," he replied, winking.

Terra and Ven left then, promising they'd be right back. Roxas sighed in content and snuggled closer to Axel, loving how warm he was.

"So where do you plan on taking him for your date, Ax?" Riku asked with a grin, looking between the blond and redhead.

Axel chuckled. "It's a secret."

"Wait, you two are going on a date?" Demyx questioned, green eyes wide as his lips pulled up into a grin.

Blushing, Roxas nodded. "He asked me out this Saturday and I, um, said yes…"

Demyx clapped excitedly. "Aww, Roxy! Finally! The tension between you two was getting ridiculous, so I'm glad you two are  _finally_  going on a date!"

Roxas grabbed a pillow and chucked it at the taller blond. "Oh shut it, Dem," he grumbled.

"We're all excited about it though," Sora said with a grin. "You were giving him such a hard time that I was worried you'd never stop! But now you two are cuddling and it's adorable because you two look really cute together!"

The blond blushed profusely, while Axel simply grinned. "Careful, you might spook him," he teased, winking down at Roxas.

Roxas huffed, crossing his arms, causing everyone to crack up.

"So when are you two gonna kiss?" Demyx asked with a shit-eating grin, sea green eyes sparkling with mischief.

Sora scoffed. "That ship has sailed, they made out in the bathroom the day Roxas almost fought my brother."

Roxas gasped, ears reddening.  _"Sora!"_  he practically shrieked.

"Pretty intensely from what Sora told me," Riku added, smirking.

"Rikuuuu," Roxas whined, burying his face in his hands.

"Oh my god!" Demyx chortled. "That is so great, oh wow…" Roxas peeked through his fingers in time to watch the grin widen. "I vote you two kiss! Who's with me?"

"Ooooh me!" Sora squealed, clapping.

Riku smirked wider. "I dare you two."

Demyx nudged Zexion, who raised his arms in surrender. "I'm not getting involved," he said meekly, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Feeling slightly cornered, Roxas looked around before his eyes settled on Zexion and an idea popped into his head. "I'll do it if Zexion kisses Demyx!" he exclaimed, seeing it as a foolproof plan.

The shy teen squeaked, eyes widening and mouth falling open. Demyx even looked shocked, not having expected Roxas to say that, but he recovered quickly and turned to Zexion with a lopsided grin.

"Hey, you don't have to. Only if you want to…of course, I wouldn't oppose," he told him, chuckling.

Swallowing visibly, Zexion shook his head. "No, I…" He looked down, cheeks red. "I want to," he finished softly.

Smiling, Demyx brushed the teen's long bangs from his face and tilted his chin up. "You sure? I don't want you to feel pressu—mmph!"

His words were abruptly cut off as Zexion leaned forward, eyes squeezed shut, and kissed the tall blond. Both of them relaxed, with Demyx's arms wrapping loosely around the smaller teen and pulling him closer. Everyone in the room was stunned into silence, with Roxas silently cursing as his plan backfired.

Demyx looked slightly dazed when they separated seconds later, grinning stupidly. "Well then…how old are you?"

Zexion smiled a little. "Eighteen next month."

The blond grinned. "Perfect. Can I take you out sometime?"

Then, Zexion did the last thing anyone expected.

He giggled.

"I…I'd like that very much," he replied, snuggling up to Demyx.

Demyx grinned smugly at Roxas, who was trying to figure out an escape plan. "Well? We're waiting, Roxy-poo."

"Hey, guys, he doesn't have to if he doesn't want to," Axel interjected, and Roxas detected a slightly sad tone to his voice. "I don't want him to be forced into kissing me until he's ready. I already made that mistake once, and, well…" His emerald eyes connected with Roxas' sapphire ones, and the look in them made the blond's heart melt just a little. "I want him to kiss me on his own terms. I want him to kiss me because it's what he _wants_ , not because he's forced to. I'd rather not lose my chance."

Roxas' eyes softened. "Axel…"

The redhead grinned, but it was soft. "I mean it, Roxas."

Chuckling, Roxas stretched his body upwards to plant a kiss on Axel's cheek. "Thank you."

"Okay, I feel like I need to brush my teeth from how disgustingly sweet that was," Riku muttered, leaning back into the couch cushion.

Sora smacked his chest lightly. "Shut up, 'Ku, that was cute," the brunet chastised lightly, grinning. Turning his attention to Axel, the grin widened. "I approve of you, by the way. Roxas has been my best friend since we were born and I care a lot about him, so I'm trusting you not to do anything idiotic. If you do, well…" He smiled sweetly,  _too_  sweetly. "I'll rip your fucking nuts off, light them on fire and make you eat them. Are we clear?"

Eyes wide, Axel nodded. "Crystal."

Soon after, Ven and Terra returned with the pizza. Both shot a questioning glance at Demyx and Zexion, who were curled together, but wisely chose not to comment in favor of digging in.

* * *

Later on, everyone started to leave. Terra offered Zexion and Demyx a drive when he found out that they all lived in the same general area, which they both accepted. Sora and Riku of course left together, leaving with waves and promises to hang out again soon.

"Ven, will you be alright here alone for a few minutes?" Roxas questioned as he grabbed his coat.

The younger blond waved a hand dismissively. "I'll be fine, I have a bit of homework that I need to finish."

Nodding, Roxas turned to Axel. "Ready, then?"

The redhead nodded as he zippered his coat. "Let's get going." He grinned at Ven, slinging an arm around his neck. "Have a good day at school tomorrow, Ven. Keep up that firecracker attitude, okay? And let me know if anyone else bothers you or Zexion," he said, laughing.

Ven chuckled. "Gotcha, Axel."

Roxas and Axel headed out the door then, jogging quickly through the rain to the blond's shitty old car. They quickly got in, both letting out shivers from the cold. Once he started it, Roxas immediately cranked the heat on.

"I really had fun today," Axel murmured as they headed toward the Fair residence to pick their sisters up.

Roxas glanced over and smiled. "Me too. And I'm so happy that Ven found some friends, they both seem like they'll be really good to him."

The redhead smirked. "Did you notice the way he was looking at Terra? That boy's got it  _bad_ ," he commented, waggling his eyebrows.

The blond snorted. "I'd have to be an idiot to miss it! D'you think Terra noticed?" he asked.

Axel shrugged. "If he did, he wasn't acknowledging it…I wonder if he's even into guys…"

Roxas sighed. "I hope so…because then Ven could get over whatever he feels for Vanitas," he grumbled.

"I don't even understand what's going on there…are they together or something?" the redhead questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't even know," replied Roxas. "But I came home a couple days ago and found them making out in Ven's room. Ven was supposed to be watching Naminé while I was at work. We actually got into a fight over it, and he didn't start talking to me again until last night…" He bit his lip. "It was…it was really hard, y'know? I felt like I was losing him, and I've already lost enough…"

A warm hand closed over his, which rested on the stick, and Roxas glanced over momentarily to find soft green eyes looking at him.

"Ven's a good kid, Roxas. But he's what, seventeen?" At Roxas' nod, he continued. "He's still a kid, then. And kids make mistakes. But you will never lose him over something like that, I promise. I'm sure he understands the value of family and cherishes what he has left. So don't worry, okay?" The blond saw him look down out of the corner of his eye. "And, well…I just want you to know that I'll be there for you if you're ever having a hard time with anything. I know how hard it is to suddenly have so much responsibility on your shoulders, and it can get a little overwhelming at times. So…" He coughed awkwardly. "So I'll be there, okay?"

They pulled up to Sora's house, then, and Roxas cut the engine and turned to face Axel. He saw nothing but sincerity, and it made him smile. "Axel…that really means a lot to me. Thank you," he said softly, flipping the hand that the redhead still held to give the larger, warmer hand a gentle squeeze.

The two exited the car then and made their way to the door, knocking. It was answered moments later by a smiling Aerith.

"Hello, boys," she greeted, long ponytail swinging as she tilted her head and smiled. Turning, she called, "Kairi! Naminé! Your brothers are here!"

There was what sounded like a stampede above them after that as the girls scrambled downstairs, running into their brothers' arms. Roxas got the wind slightly knocked out of him when Naminé barreled into him, wrapping her skinny arms around him tightly.

"I missed you!" she exclaimed, letting go to hug Axel while Kairi turned and hugged Roxas.

"Did you two have fun?" Axel asked, smiling at the two little girls.

Both nodded vigorously. "Did you have fun with all your friends?" Kairi questioned in return, grinning.

Both Axel and Roxas nodded, sharing a secretive smile. They then picked up the girls in front of them, turning back to Aerith.

"Thank you for this, Aerith. Really," Roxas said sincerely, smiling as Kairi wrapped her arms around him.

"Yeah, we really appreciate it," Axel added, hoisting Naminé higher.

Aerith laughed delicately, waving a hand dismissively. "Anytime you boys need them to, they can come here. Xion loves playing with her friends, and we love having them here."

Nodding, they headed out the door and waved. "See you soon!" they called, smiling.

The brown-haired woman waved back, still smiling softly. "You boys come for supper sometime!"

"We will!"

They got the kids in the car, making sure they were buckled in before getting in. Roxas turned the car in the direction of the university, where Axel's car laid in wait. The drive was comfortably silent—even the girls were quiet.

Once they reached the university, Roxas parked beside Axel's Trans-Am and helped him get a sleepy Kairi in the car, seeing Naminé already dozing. Once Kairi was buckled in, Axel closed the door and turned to the blond.

"Text me later or something, okay?" he said, smiling.

Roxas smiled and bit his lip, reaching up and grabbing Axel by the back of the neck. He caught the sight of confused emerald eyes before he stretched onto the tips of his toes and pulled Axel's face down to his level, gently pressing their lips together in a soft, languid kiss. The same things he felt when kissing him Monday were there once more, filling his stomach with butterflies and making his heart race. He could  _really_  get used to this.

"What was _that_ for?" Axel asked with a grin once Roxas pulled away, emerald eyes positively glowing with happiness.

Chuckling, Roxas shrugged. "Payback for the other day. You aren't going to hit me, are you?" he joked, slinging his arms around the taller man's neck.

He felt arms slip around his waist, tugging him closer. "Hmm…I suppose I'll let this one slide, we're even now," the redhead replied, winking as he leaned their foreheads together. Their noses touched, and Roxas felt himself smile. "I'll see you in class on Friday," he whispered, rubbing their noses together in an Eskimo kiss. "And on Saturday for our date…" he added, eyes starting to close.

"See you then…" Their mouths pressed together once more, and they savored it for only a moment before separating. Roxas blushed a little when Axel kissed his forehead before letting go completely, offering a smile.

"Goodbye, Roxas," the lanky man murmured as he opened his car door.

Roxas smiled, eyes soft. "Goodbye, Axel."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 more chapters coming shortly after editing!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel and Roxas go on a date. That's kinda it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2nd chapter of the day! one more to come after this!

"So Kairi's gonna be there too?" Naminé questioned, looking back over her shoulder as Roxas braided her golden hair.

Laughing, he nodded before gently turning her head forward again. "Yeah, kiddo, she will." His eyes shone with concern. "Are you  _sure_  you'll be okay to stay all night at Xion's?"

She giggled. "Roxy, I'm a big girl! I'll be okay!"

He sighed. "Nami, you've never been to a sleepover before..."

" _Roxas_ , I'll be fine," she told him with another giggle, and the use of his actual name somewhat startled him. Naminé rarely called him anything other than "Roxy".

Shaking his head, he chuckled. "Alright, alright, whatever you say. But I want you to call me if you need me at all, okay? Even if it's the middle of the night."

"I will, don't worry! You have lotsa fun with Axie tonight, don't worry about me! I _love_ Miss Aerith and Mister Zack, and Sora and Riku are really funny!" she told him, grinning widely.

He wrapped an elastic around the end of her braid before turning her around and lifting her into his arms and grabbing her bag. "I'm glad you like it there, kiddo."

She snuggled up to him. "Miss Aerith and Mister Zack kinda remind me of mommy and daddy, and that makes me happy. They feel like family!"

Eyes soft, he smiled and kissed her cheek. "I'm glad, Naminé. They remind me of mom and dad, too."

He jogged down the stairs with her in his arms, grabbing his keys from the hook by the door. "Ven!" he called, opening the front door. "I'm taking Naminé now, I'll be right back!"

He heard a muffled acknowledgement from upstairs before heading out the door, grinning. He let Naminé sit in the front seat, much to her delight, and then the two were on the road.

"So what are you and Axie doing tonight?" the little girl asked, turning her big blue eyes on him.

Roxas shrugged, smiling to himself. "He won't tell me, so I don't really know," he replied, chuckling.

"Are you and Axie boyfriends like Sora and Riku?"

Roxas choked, nearly swerving at the question. He glanced over at her, eyebrows lifted. "What gave you _that_ idea?"

She giggled. "You guys act like they do. And I saw you guys kissing the other night when you thought I was sleeping, and only _boyfriends_ and girlfriends and stuff do that."

A slight blush rose to the blond's cheeks at that, and he swallowed hard to quench his suddenly dry throat. "Well, um...we aren't _dating_ , Nami. At least...not right now," he responded, biting his lip.

She gasped. "So you guys kissed without even being  _boyfriends_? Isn't that bad?" she questioned.

A laugh escaped him. "Not always..." He looked over at her, eyes suddenly hard. "But if you _ever_ kiss anyone without being their girlfriend, you're grounded."

She giggled. "Okay, Roxy."

They soon reached the Fair household, and Zack met him at the car.

"Hey Mister Zack!" Naminé said enthusiastically, leaping out of the car to hug the black-haired man tight.

He smiled, hoisting her up. "Hey there, Naminé! You excited to stay here all night?"

She nodded vigorously. "It's gonna be fun!"

Laughing, Zack ducked down to wave to Roxas. "I hear you have a _date_ to prepare for," the man said wryly, waggling his eyebrows.

Roxas groaned. "Damn Sora and his big mouth..."

The black-haired man laughed again. "Oh, stop. I just wanted to tell you to have fun with Axel, he's a good guy. Oh, and be safe too!" he quickly added with a wink, swiping Naminé's bag and shutting the car door.

"Zack!" Roxas exclaimed, the tips of his ears reddening.

His laugh echoed all the way to the house.

* * *

"Ven! I don't have anything to wear!"

Seconds later, the younger blond poked his head in the door with a grin. "Oh my _god_ , Roxas, stop moaning like a teenage girl! I don't think he's going to care about what you're wearing!" he laughed, blue eyes twinkling.

Roxas groaned. "Well I don't wanna look like a _slob_! I wanna look like I, dunno, like I  _care_  or something! I don't want him to think I don't care because that would be mean and I've already been mean enough—"

A hand was clapped over his mouth as Ven entered the room, grin widening. "Wow, you're really nervous, aren't you?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

Roxas sighed when the hand fell from his mouth. "I just...I don't wanna fuck anything up. I think...I think I actually really like him, Ven, and I just want it to show."

Ven's face softened, and he clapped his older brother on the shoulder. "Roxas, everything is gonna be fine, okay? Calm down, you're overthinking." He headed over to the older blond's closet, pulling out black skinny jeans, a blue Superman shirt and Roxas' favorite checkered Vans. "Just be  _you_ , Rox. Because that's what he likes, okay? Relax."

Taking a deep breath, Roxas nodded. "Yeah, okay. I can do this." He pulled Ven in for a hug. "Thank you," he mumbled.

He felt his brother chuckle. "Anytime, bro. Now get dressed, he'll be here in twenty minutes and you don't wanna keep him waiting."

Nodding, Roxas watched him leave the room before dropping his towel and dressing. He felt calmer after talking to Ventus, which he was thankful for. He'd been nervous all day.

He just...he really wanted the date to go well. He hadn't realized how much he actually wanted to go on a date with Axel until he'd been asked, and after sharing those two amazing kisses Tuesday night...he knew he had feelings for the redhead. He realized that maybe he'd had them all along, but had been running from them and using Axel's forwardness as an excuse to convince himself otherwise.

But he didn't really feel like running anymore. Axel had proved himself to be caring and sweet, and that was enough for him.

After he was dressed, he headed to his mirror and fussed with his hair for a minute before deciding to leave it flat and wear his favorite grey beanie. Finally satisfied, he slipped his shoes on and headed to Ven's room.

"How do I look?" he asked, biting his lip.

Ventus grinned widely. "Axel's gonna love it, bro."

Sighing with relief, Roxas smiled. "I really am nervous, you know...it's kinda scary to put myself out there again after what happened with Seifer..."

"You can't be scared forever," Ven reminded him, grin softening as Roxas sat beside him on the bed. "I think Axel will be good for you, Rox. From what I saw the other night...he really cares about you. I can see it by the way he looks at you and by the way he held you, like you were something so precious to him." He sighed dreamily. "You're so lucky, bro."

Blushing, Roxas' smile widened. "He's just so sweet, sweeter than I originally thought. And he's...he's really attentive. Not to mention he's an  _amazing_  kisser, like wow..." He fanned himself, grinning.

Ven laughed. "That good?"

The older blond nodded. "Oh yes. Each kiss gets better and better."

Ven's brow furrowed. "Hold up, you kissed him  _again_  after the time in the bathroom?"

Roxas rubbed the back of his neck, grin turning sheepish. "Right, I didn't tell you about the other night...we kissed twice when I dropped him off at the university to get his car after we picked the girls up." He blushed again. "And I must admit that I'm guilty of initiating the first one..."

Ventus' face lit up like a child's after being given candy. "Oh my god! _Damn_ , Rox, you better get some!"

Roxas rolled his eyes, smacking his brother's arm lightly. "Oh, shut up," he mumbled, embarrassed.

"You know you want to~" Ven sang, still grinning.

Roxas stood, shaking his head. "Never!" he protested, cheeks burning.

The younger of the two simply continued grinning. "Whatever you say, bro. Anyway, you should probably go watch for him, he'll be here soon."

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered before leaving the room and jogging down the stairs, phone and wallet in hand. He felt his phone buzz and found a text from a certain redhead.

 _Be there in a minute, you ready?_  it read.

Stomach fluttering nervously, he typed a reply.  _Ready. See you when you get here._

Moments later, Axel's black Trans Am pulled up. Taking a deep breath, Roxas called, "I'm leaving! I'll be home later, okay?"

"Have fun! Get some!" was Ven's reply, which made Roxas blush again. Jeez, he was doing a lot of that lately...

Reminding himself to breathe, he opened the door and headed outside, walking to the curb and climbing into the beautiful car. He was immediately greeted by a smile and a nervous, "Hey there."

Biting his lip, Roxas smiled. "Hey, Axel."

"You look good," the redhead commented, slowly grinning.

Roxas chuckled. "So do you." It was true—he was wearing a long sleeved grey v-neck shirt with a white shirt underneath and dark jeans with a beat-up old pair of Chucks on his feet. His hair was tied back in the ponytail that Roxas decided he loved, and his eyes seemed to be sparkling brighter than usual.

"Thanks, Roxy." His eyes shone with mischief as he used the nickname that he knew he wasn't allowed to use.

"How many times am I gonna have to tell you to stop calling me that?" the blond questioned, eyebrow raised.

Axel grinned. "As many times as it takes for you to realize that I'm not gonna stop," he replied cheekily, starting the engine.

"Dick," Roxas muttered, fighting a grin.

"You wouldn't have me any other way."

The blond laughed. "Shut up and drive, idiot." He paused. "Which reminds me...where are we going?"

Axel pulled away from the house with a chuckle. "Well, first of all, I figured we should eat. My cousin owns a diner with his friend, and they make the best burgers..."

Roxas smiled. "Sounds perfect. And after that?" he prompted, eyebrow raised.

Axel smiled secretively. "You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

The blond settled into his seat, letting out a small laugh. "Guess so."

They reached the diner moments later. It was small (and honestly kind of dingy looking), with a half broken neon sign that read "Reno & Rude's". But the scents that wafted out were heavenly, so Roxas decided that maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Maybe.

Axel led him inside, finding it empty save for an elderly man sitting at a table beside the window, sipping what looked to be coffee.

They sat at the counter on barstools, and Roxas amused himself by spinning around while they waited for service.

"Reno! Rude! What's it take to get some service around here?" Axel practically bellowed, shooting a grin at Roxas.

"Your soul and your first-born son," a voice that sounded eerily similar to Axel's called back, making Roxas snort. Seconds later, a man who looked as if he could be Axel's twin, save for a few differences, emerged from the kitchen.

Roxas was momentarily stunned by the newcomer. His hair was the same vibrant shade of red as Axel's, cut short on the top with a long ponytail hanging down his back. His eyes were a clear, crystal-like blue, and the mischief in them mirrored Axel's. Red marks framed the outer sides of his eyes, and Roxas couldn't tell if they were tattoos or burns. His lips tilted in the same smirk that Axel often wore, and it stunned Roxas how similar they looked.

"Well that sucks, since I have no soul and I'm going _nowhere_ near a vagina, meaning I'll have no son to give you." Axel nudged Roxas, grinning. "Guess we're shit outta luck, Roxy."

Grimacing, Roxas smacked him over the head. "Call me Roxy one more time and it'll be your nuts next," he grumbled, crossing his arms.

The blue-eyed redhead grinned. "I suppose I can make an exception for my dear cousin and his hot blond friend." A hand was thrust towards Roxas, and he hesitantly reached up to shake it. "The name's Reno. Got a name? Otherwise I'll just have to call you Roxy."

The blond chuckled. "It's Roxas. Has anyone ever told you two that you look alike?" he questioned, glancing between them as he lowered his hand.

Axel grinned. "All the time, actually. People often think we're twins, but this shithead's three years older."

Reno smacked him. "Respect your elders, yo!"

Roxas snorted, watching as Axel rubbed his arm. "Dick," the green-eyed redhead muttered.

The older redhead simply grinned, pulling out a notepad. "Well, what can I get for you fine gentlemen?" he asked.

Roxas could tell that he looked slightly lost, which was why he was grateful when Axel spoke up. "Just give us both that monster of a bacon cheeseburger Rude loves to make." He turned to Roxas, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "That's okay, right?"

Laughing, Roxas nodded. "Sounds great. No veggies though, if you don't mind," he replied, turning to Reno. "Just lots of ketchup."

Reno snorted. "Gotcha, kid. You both want fries, too?"

There were nods from both of them, and then Reno disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Well, that's my dear cousin," Axel grinned, leaning on the counter. "Although he's more of a brother than anything. He helps with Kairi sometimes."

Roxas nodded along, smiling. "He seems nice. But wow, you two are so alike it's almost scary..." he commented. "The way you look, the way you act...it's crazy."

The redhead chuckled. "We get that all the time, and I guess it's understandable," he shrugged. "But man, am I  _really_  that annoying?" he asked with a grin.

Roxas laughed, leaning his chin on his palm. "More annoying," he teased.

Axel leaned closer, close enough that their noses touched. "Aw...you don't really mean that, do you?"

The blond's breath hitched in his throat, but he forced himself to stay composed. "And if I do...?" he questioned, blue eyes flashing coyly.

"You little bastard," the redhead breathed before chastely pressing their lips together.

"I'm kidding," Roxas murmured against his lips, smiling. "You two are  _equally_  as annoying."

"I'll take it," Axel chuckled before kissing him again, this time longer than before.

"Hey, no kissing at the counter, you'll scare away the nonexistent customers, yo!"

The two jumped apart at the sound of Reno's voice, finding the older redhead smirking at them.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate you, Reno? Because I do," Axel said with an overly sweet smile.

Reno raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, I just came to ask what you two wanted to drink!"

Axel rolled his eyes, grinning. "Whip me up a chocolate milkshake, fuckface."

Reno glared halfheartedly at his cousin before turning to Roxas. "And you, my dear?"

The blond pursed his lips. "Do you make strawberry milkshakes?" he questioned.

Reno threw his head back and laughed. "Aw, kid, you crack me up. I'll be right out with the milkshakes."

He disappeared again, leaving the two alone once more. Axel turned to him, still grinning, and reached up to push his bangs from his face. "You picked well...Reno makes good strawberry milkshakes," he told him, his thumb trailing down the blond's cheek before his hand fell back to his own lap.

"I haven't had a strawberry milkshake in ages," Roxas said with a chuckle, shrugging. "I just got a sudden craving." The sound of a blender was heard from the kitchen, followed by what sounded like Reno cursing and deep guffaws from what must have been Rude.

"Looks like Rude did something to Reno," Axel commented, chuckling. "They don't get a whole lot of business, so all they do is play poker and prank each other all day."

Roxas snorted. "That doesn't sound like a terrible job to have."

The redhead nodded. "They have fun...and both of their families are pretty well-off, so it's not as if they  _need_  the money. This is basically something to do for them," he explained.

"Lucky bastards," he muttered, sighing and leaning against the counter. "I wish I didn't have to work."

"I like working," Axel shrugged. "Gives me something to do. It helps that my work is to cook, though, because it's something I already love doing..."

"Better than scooping ice cream and pretending to be cheerful," the blond grumbled. "I love ice cream and all, but that doesn't mean I wanna spend my day selling it to other people."

"Aw, I'll bet you're good at it," Axel said with a grin, poking him. "And you probably look adorable in your uniform!"

Roxas rolled his eyes and nudged him. "I look damn fabulous in my ice-cream hat and apron!"

Axel choked out a laugh, coughing a few times to clear his throat and breathe. After a few deep breaths, he replied, "I'll have to go see you at work sometime, then."

Reno emerged from the kitchen once more, carrying the milkshakes in his hands. He looked grumpy, and it was easy to see why—dark brown stains covered the front of him, and there was even some milkshake in his hair.

"Fucking Rude and his shit," the older redhead muttered, placing the milkshakes in front of them as well as straws. "Enjoy your devil-spawn milkshakes." And then he was gone, leaving the other two laughing like hyenas.

Axel took a sip once he'd calmed enough, sighing in content. "Try yours," he told the blond, smiling.

Roxas stuck his straw in the light pink liquid, picking the strawberry off the top and setting it on a napkin. Hesitantly, he took a sip, nearly moaning when the taste hit him.

"Good, right?" the redhead asked with a chuckle as he watched Roxas' hands wrap around the cup to bring it closer.

Roxas nodded vigorously, swallowing what was in his mouth. "This is the best milkshake I've ever had," he breathed, looking at the cup almost reverently.

Laughing, Axel lifted his cup and held it out to the blond. "Try some of mine, it's really good."

Leaning forward, Roxas wrapped his lips around Axel's straw and took a sip, closing his eyes in bliss when the creamy, chocolaty taste hit his tastebuds.

Soon after, their burgers were brought out by a tall, imposing dark-skinned bald man. He wore a pair of black sunglasses for reasons unknown to Roxas.

"Here's your food, guys. Reno is sulking in the kitchen and wouldn't bring it out," he told them, smirking a little as he set the plates in front of them.

Axel laughed. "Got him good, didja?"

The man snorted. "He didn't see it coming. Anyways, gimme a holler if either of you want anything else."

"Thanks, Rude," Axel said with a grin.

"Thanks," Roxas echoed, smiling.

Rude disappeared back into the kitchen, and then the two dug in.

* * *

"That was the most heavenly burger I have ever eaten," Roxas murmured once they were both done, hiccupping and patting his belly in content.

"Told you," Axel said with a chuckle, letting out a small burp. "Rude's burgers are the best." Then, louder, he called, "Hey, Reno! Rude! One of you come out here and take my money!"

Seconds later, Reno appeared. He still looked slightly sulky, but still he smirked. "Ready to go, I see?" he remarked as he watched them both stand. Roxas began winding his scarf around his throat before pulling his coat on.

"Yeah, man, tell Rude the burgers were delicious," Axel replied, pulling his coat on. "How much do I owe you?"

"I think he means 'we'," Roxas cut in, raising an eyebrow at Axel.

The green-eyed man snorted. "Rox, what kind of date would I be if I didn't pay for your food?"

"Axel—"

A hand covered his mouth, and Axel smiled. "Roxas, I got this. Really."

Sighing in defeat, the blond crossed his arms over his chest and muttered, "Fine."

Axel handed over sufficient munny before wrapping an arm around Roxas and kissing his forehead, causing the blond to reluctantly smile.

"See you guys some other time," Reno said in parting before heading back into the kitchen.

Together, they made their way back out to Axel's car and got in. "Where to now?" Roxas questioned as he buckled his seatbelt.

The redhead grinned. "You'll see."

He pulled away from the little diner then and headed toward the city centre, and Roxas had a slight clue of where they were going.

His assumption was proven to be correct when they parked in one of the many parking lots in Radiant Garden.

"I was thinking we could go for a little walk and sit by the lake," Axel told him, an uncharacteristically shy look in his eyes.

At that, Roxas smiled. "That sounds wonderful," he murmured, voice soft.

They got out of the car, and Axel went to the trunk and pulled a couple warm-looking blankets out. Tentatively, he held his hand out, and Roxas smiled bashfully before taking it.

They began the walk down the path leading to the beautiful Crystal Lake. The sun was sinking in the sky, bathing everything in a deep orange glow. Fireflies flitted around, and the songs of the birds were slowly dying down. It was absolutely beautiful, in Roxas' eyes.

When they reached the lake, the sight of the sun glittering on the calm water and crystals surrounding the lake stole Roxas' breath. He heard Axel chuckle as the redhead's arms went around him, his lips at his ear.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he whispered, lips brushing the shell of Roxas' ear.

Slowly, Roxas nodded. "I...I've never seen anything so beautiful."

Reaching up, Axel brushed back Roxas's blond bangs and kissed him softly for a moment. The blond melted into him, sighing contentedly into the kiss.

"C'mon, I know a secret place with a great view of the sunset," Axel said softly as he pulled away, taking Roxas' hand in his.

The blond let himself be led away, and Axel pulled him through trees and bushes to a hidden path. He looked around in wonder as he was led expertly through the woods until they reached a clearing of sorts, with one side ending in a hill that overlooked almost all of Radiant Garden.

"Oh, Axel..." Roxas breathed, moving closer to the edge. "This is amazing..."

He felt arms wrap around him from behind, then Axel's chin rested on his shoulder. "Isn't it? Reno and I found this place when we were younger. We named it Sunset Hill, because the sunsets are always so nice up here." He brushed a kiss against Roxas' cheek. "This is where I come to think. I've never shown it to anyone before..."

Roxas turned, eyes soft, and reached up to stroke the spikes in Axel's ponytail. "I'm honored that you decided to show it to me," he murmured before stretching onto his toes to connect their lips. It felt natural, just kissing Axel like that.

When they broke apart moments later, Axel was smiling. "You wanna sit?" he questioned, biting his lip.

Roxas nodded. "Sure."

Axel spread one of the blankets over the grass and sat down, wrapping the other one around himself and opening his legs to make room for Roxas. Blushing a little, the blond sat in front of him, not touching, and released a startled yelp when the redhead grabbed him and pulled him flush against his chest.

"You were too far," he offered in explanation, nuzzling his face into Roxas' neck.

A breathy chuckle left Roxas at that. "Sorry," he replied, grinning.

Axel laughed softly. "I guess I can forgive you..." he breathed, breath warm against the blond's neck. " _This_  time..." His lips pressed against Roxas' neck, dusting kisses against all available skin. His head fell back to rest against the redhead's shoulder, allowing him more access.

But then, slowly, Roxas turned in his grip, hands hesitantly resting on Axel's chest. He could feel firm muscles through his shirt, and he restrained himself from swooning.

"I'm glad," he whispered, licking his lips.

Axel's hands moved to Roxas' hips, where his thumbs started massaging small circles. His acid eyes were slightly darkened as he leaned slightly closer until their lips were only a breath apart.

"Roxas," he whispered, swallowing visibly. "Can I...can I kiss you?"

Roxas licked his lips again, wetting them, and nodded once. The fact that Axel had asked...there was just something special about that.

Needing no further encouragement, Axel tugged him closer, one hand leaving his hip to slide up his back. Their lips collided gently, moving slowly together, gradually deepening until their tongues languidly tangled inside their mouths. The smallest of moans escaped Roxas' throat, much to his embarrassment, but it seemed to please Axel. He was pulled impossibly closer, and the redhead's mouth pressed harder against his own.

Dizzying sensation overwhelmed Roxas as his brain practically shut down, its sole function to focus on Axel. On his smell, his taste, his touch. He smelled woodsy with a hint of musk, and he tasted like chocolate milkshake. Everywhere his fingers touched seemed to leave a burning trail, even through his clothes.

A large, warm hand suddenly moved to the back of his neck, and Axel's lips left Roxas'. The blond was about to protest, but Axel's lips met the corner of his mouth before steadily moving down his jaw and occasionally opening to allow for a playful nip here and there.

An embarrassingly loud noise left Roxas' throat when those teeth tugged lightly on his earlobe. An almost mischievous chuckle left Axel when he realized he'd found a weakness.

"Are your ears sensitive,  _Roxy_?" he almost purred, tongue tracing the shell of his ear. The action drew a loud moan from Roxas, and his head immediately fell back. "I'll take that as a yes," he breathed, taking the gauged lobe into his mouth again and rolling it between his teeth.

" _Axel_ ," he gasped, clutching the hair in his hands. He wanted to run his fingers through it, but the ponytail was hindering him.

When that mouth finally left his ear alone and moved to his neck, the urge to run his hands through that soft red hair grew too strong. He pulled the elastic out and let it fall free, groaning at a particularly hard bite as he did so.

As if in apology, Axel's tongue lapped against the bite for a moment before he continued his descent down the tanned column of Roxas' neck, scattering more bites as he went.

Roxas didn't protest when Axel gently started pushing him backward until he felt his back against the ground. The redhead hovered over him, connecting their lips once more in a deep, sensual kiss. Never in his life had Roxas ever been kissed with that much passion or emotion, and he definitely wasn't complaining one bit.

"Axel," he sighed into the kiss, his fingers snaking under the redhead's shirt to slide up and down his back, nails scratching the skin lightly.

The redhead groaned softly, nipping at Roxas' bottom lip. "I love it when you say my name," he murmured, tongue flicking against the blond's.

Roxas smirked. "Do you,  _Axel_?" The redhead groaned again, and Roxas quickly flipped them so that he was on top, lips immediately heading for the pale collarbones poking up above the shirt Axel wore. A low moan escaped the redhead as he nipped and sucked at the porcelain skin, leaving his own marks like he was sure Axel had left his.

"Goddammit, Roxas," he practically hissed, grabbing the blond's slim hips in a bruising grip.

Still smirking, Roxas trailed his tongue up the pale skin of his neck before nipping at the bobbing Adam's apple, drawing more deep noises from the man beneath him. He loved that he could earn those noises.

"Roxas," he gasped out, sounding slightly desperate. "Roxas, stop, or we're gonna have a problem."

Pulling back, Roxas grinned sheepishly before leaning down and pecking his lips. "Sorry, Ax," he said softly, toying with a strand of bright red hair.

The redhead pulled him down beside him, tugging the blanket over them and wrapping his arms around him. He was chuckling breathlessly as he kissed Roxas' forehead, shaking his head. "Don't apologize. That was great."

Roxas grinned, snuggling into him. "I thought so too," he murmured in reply.

"Does that mean you'll go out with me again?" Axel questioned, a slim crimson eyebrow raising.

Slowly, smiling a little, the blond nodded. "But, before we get too into things...there's just some things I wanna tell you..."

"I'm all ears," Axel told him, a glint of concern in his pretty green eyes.

A soft sigh escaped Roxas' throat. "A few months ago...I went through a _really_ bad breakup. I'd been with my boyfriend, Seifer, for almost a year when Dad died, and I thought..." He swallowed thickly. "I thought he'd be there for me, y'know? I mean, he was never the most affectionate or anything, but he wasn't a bad boyfriend...well at least I hadn't  _thought_  so." He looked down, chewing on the inside of his cheek and toying with Axel's hair. "When I went to see him a few days after the accident, wanting some comfort, I..." He forced himself not to cry, receiving a comforting squeeze on his hand from Axel. "I found him kissing his friend, Fuu. I later found out he'd been cheating on me with her for months..."

"Oh, Roxas..." he said softly, reaching up to cup the blond's face. Roxas rested his hand over the larger one, squeezing gently.

"I just...I just want you to know that. Sometimes, I can get irrational and jealous, and I can be a lot to handle. So it's better that you know now so you can still—"

He didn't get to finish before there were lips covering his. It was a kiss for comfort, meant to reassure, and Roxas felt some of the tension in his shoulders dissipate.

When Axel pulled away, there was a seriousness in his eyes that Roxas had never seen. "You listen to me, Roxas Strife, and you listen  _well_." Seeing that he had the blond's attention, he continued. "I want you to know that I will never,  _ever_  do anything like that to you. I've never felt the way I feel about you for anyone else, and I'm not about to let you slip through my fingers. I wanna be there for you and help you through whatever troubles you, no matter what happens." His voice softened, gentle eyes meeting Roxas'. "I wanna be your boyfriend, Roxas, but only if you'll have me."

Speechless, Roxas felt his eyes irrationally well up with tears as he threw his arms around Axel's neck and kissed him hard, his body beginning to shake with small tremors. Axel simply kissed him back softly, lips curled into a smile.

"I'm guessing that's a yes, then...?" he murmured once they broke apart, biting his lip almost shyly.

Wiping away the few tears that had escaped, Roxas choked out a laugh and nodded. "Of  _course_ , you dork."


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ven is very skilled in the art of lying, and Axel apparently likes to sleep without a shirt on.

Ven had been quietly working on some homework and snacking on some chips when he felt something in his pocket start to buzz. Realizing it was his phone, which had finally been given back to him, he pulled it out and checked the caller ID.

_Vanitas._

Biting his lip, he debated whether or not to answer it. He hadn't talked to him in a week, and he found he hadn't really minded, but now that the opportunity had presented itself...

Taking a deep breath, he slid his finger across the screen and raised his phone to his ear. "Hello?"

_"You've been ignoring me, Ventus."_

A familiar ache filled his chest at the husky voice, and he swallowed hard. "I haven't had my phone all week...Roxas had it."

_"Well that's no fun...I've missed you all week."_

Ven sighed. "Vanitas...don't. Roxas told me what happened that day in school. Why would you do that do him?"

There was a pause.  _"What exactly did he tell you?"_

Ven chewed on his lower lip. "He told me that you bumped into him on purpose and tried to start a fight with him...and that Axel and Demyx saw the whole thing..."

He heard a scoff on the other line.  _"True, I bumped into him, but I swear it was an accident, Ven. He just blew it out of proportion."_

"But Axel...and Demyx..."

He could almost see Vanitas rolling his eyes. _"Ventus, don't be dense. They're his friends, of course they're going to side with him."_  Sounding slightly hurt, he added,  _"Don't you believe me, Ven?"_

The blond's head was starting to hurt. "Vanitas, I...he's my brother," he said weakly.

There was a long pause before Vanitas spoke again.  _"I see. Well...I just wanted to tell you I missed you and wanted to see you, but I won't bother you anymore. Goodbye, Ven."_

Knowing that he only had a split second to decide what to do, he made a snap decision. "Wait!" he exclaimed, clutching the phone with both hands. When he didn't hear it hang up, he sighed with relief. "Don't go, Vanitas..."

_"Why not? There's nothing I can say to make you believe me, Ventus..."_

He bit his finger, mulling his decision over and weighing the pros and cons.

Pros: he'd see Vanitas, Roxas wasn't home to find out, and he'd get the contact he'd been craving all week.

Cons: he still didn't know what to think, and most terrifying at all, he thought of what Roxas would do if he did find out.

Closing his eyes, he made his decision. "Can you come get me? Roxas isn't here..."  _Fuck it_ , he thought. _I need to figure this out, and I need to see him._

He heard a light chuckle.  _"Look out your window."_

Brow furrowing, Ven stood and made his way over to his window to find Vanitas lounging against the hood of his car, grinning lazily with his phone held to his ear.

 _"Surprise,"_  he drawled. _"Get down here, I need those lips of yours."_

"You don't need to tell me twice," Ven mumbled before hanging up and throwing his phone on his bed, slipping his feet into whatever shoes he could find and throwing a light sweater on.

Hastily, he ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time. In his haste, he didn't even grab his keys or phone, but he didn't care enough to go back for them. Throwing the front door open and making sure it was locked, he ran to the arms that were opened to him.

Grabbing him by the hair, Vanitas tilted his head back and kissed him roughly, drawing a soft moan from the blond's throat. Before he knew it, he was pressed against the hood of the car, with Vanitas' tongue ravaging the inside of his mouth. Ven's hands reached up, fingers twining into thick black hair and tugging lightly.

"Vanitas," he gasped out when he felt a tongue slide down his neck, causing him to shiver as a fire ignited in his belly. " _Vanitas_ , not here—"

"My apartment, then," Vanitas purred, nipping at Ven's neck once before standing, striding to the door of his car. "Get in."

Ven did so immediately, sliding into the passenger seat. Vanitas' sleek car hummed to life, and he quickly pulled out of the driveway and sped toward his apartment uptown.

Feeling bold and slightly devilish, Ven leaned over the centre console, hand resting on the black-haired man's upper thigh and drawing circles there with his fingers as he placed open-mouthed kisses up and down his neck. He saw Vanitas' fingers tighten on both the wheel and gear-shift, heard his breath catch.

"You're going to get us killed," the golden-eyed man said calmly, managing to keep his voice even.

Ven grinned against his neck, nipping the smooth flesh playfully. "I have faith in your driving skills, Van...and I haven't seen you in a week, I need you," he breathed, punctuating his sentence with a sinful lick as his fingers trailed lightly over the front of the older man's jeans.

"Fuck," Vanitas groaned, driving faster in an effort to reach his apartment faster. "I swear, the second we get into my apartment...you're mine," he ground out, a muscle in his cheek jumping as he clenched his jaw tightly.

"That's what I was hoping for," the blond replied, continuing his ministrations with a smirk.

The second they got out of the car, Vanitas practically drug Ven to his apartment. Once inside, he threw him against the door and pressed their bodies together, lips meeting in a feverish, desperate kiss. Ven slid his hands up under Vanitas' shirt, tracing the defined abs there, while Vanitas gripped his hips tightly and pushed their lower halves flush together.

"Vanitas, I need you," Ven breathed into the kiss, biting at the older man's lower lip.

He felt a smirk against his lips. "Really now?" he questioned, grinding their hips together and drawing a strangled moan from the blond's throat.

"Fuck, yes," he swore, resting his head back against the door and feeling his blood rushing downward.

"Who am I to deny such a request?" he purred, tilting his head down to suck on Ven's neck. The action made his knees weak.

That being said, Vanitas lifted the teen and carried him to the bedroom and deposited him on the bed, crawling on top of him with a predatory glint in his eyes.

"You're going to lose your fucking voice by the time I'm done with you," he growled in the blond's ear, making him shiver as he tugged at Vanitas' shirt. The black-haired man pulled the shirt over his head, revealing a glorious set of abs along with muscled pecs and defined pelvic muscles.

Unable to resist, Ven's hands began exploring the smooth expanse of skin, entranced by the perfection he found. Vanitas just let him, watching him with smoldering golden eyes.

"Hang on, my contacts are bothering me," he said, reaching on the nightstand for the small white contact lens case. With quick efficiency, he popped out the golden lenses, revealing a stunning emerald green.

"Why do you cover those pretty eyes?" Ven questioned, mesmerized by their sheer beauty. They were a much darker green than Axel's or Demyx's.

"I don't like them," he replied, his tone ringing with finality as he practically ripped Ven's shirt from his body and pressed their lips together once more, effectively cutting off all conversation.

A deep moan left the blond as hands slid down his back and under both his jeans and boxers, squeezing his ass cheeks and massaging them. He arched into the body above him, a whimper escaping his throat.

"You're  _mine,_  Ventus," Vanitas growled as he jerked the teen's jeans down his hips, followed by the boxers. "You'd do well not to forget that."

Ven shuddered at the almost dark, possessive tone in his voice, suddenly getting a bad feeling. However, he simply nodded and whispered, "Yes, Vanitas."

* * *

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" Roxas asked hopefully as Axel parked outside his house.

Grinning, the redhead leaned over and kissed him softly. "If you want. Here, I'll walk you in," he replied, unbuckling his seatbelt.

Hand in hand, they made their way up the walkway to the front door. Roxas pulled out his key and slid it in the lock, turning it and pushing the door open.

"Ven!" he called, peeking around with a grin. "I'm home!"

He waited a moment, but there was no answer.

Brow furrowed, Roxas slipped his shoes off and moved toward the stairs. He heard Axel close the front door and take his shoes off as well, following him.

"Ven?" he questioned when they reached the top of the stairs.

"Ven?" Axel echoed, glancing around.

Chewing his lip nervously, Roxas knocked on his bedroom door and waited.

Nothing.

 _Screw it,_  he thought, pushing the door open.

Ven's light was on, and homework was scattered all over his bed along with a bag of chips. His phone lay on his pillow, and when Roxas tried to check it, he was blocked by a password.

"Where the fuck  _is_  he?"

Roxas felt warm hands grip his shoulders, slowly massaging them. "Calm down, Rox, I'm sure he's with a friend or something," he said softly, kissing his cheek.

"But...why didn't he take his phone?" he asked, feeling his anxiety start to spike. "What if someone got in and-and took him?"

He both heard and felt Axel sigh. "Roxas, for one thing, there's no sign of forced entry. Another thing, there are no signs of a struggle. I'm sure he just forgot his phone." His hands slid down, enveloping the blond in a hug. "Just breathe, Rox. He'll be back tonight or tomorrow, I'm sure of it." He paused. "If you want, Roxas...I'll stay with you. If you don't wanna be alone till he gets back..."

Turning, Roxas hugged him back and nuzzled his face into the redhead's chest. "I'd like that a lot."

With that said, they headed to the living room and switched the tv on, cuddling together on the loveseat and pulling a warm afghan over themselves. Axel's arm went around Roxas as he kissed the blond's forehead, lips lingering a moment.

"I wonder how the girls are doing," Roxas murmured, absently watching the tv as Axel toyed with his hair.

Axel chuckled. "I'm sure they're having a blast."

The blond sighed. "I'm just worried...Naminé's never been to a sleepover before. I hope she's doing okay."

Axel pulled him closer. "I'm sure she's just fine, Roxas. She's a brave little girl, she's probably handling it like a champ," he assured him, smiling.

"Yeah, I guess." Feeling slightly better, he let a laugh escape as he nuzzled his face into Axel's neck. "Earlier, when I was dropping her off at Sora's, she asked me if you and I were dating. Said that we acted like Sora and Riku, and she saw us kiss the other night when I dropped you off at the university." He grinned. "I told her no, but I guess that isn't true anymore..."

Playfully, Axel pushed him down into the couch cushions, hovering over him with a mischievous grin. "Damn right it isn't! You're mine, Roxas, and that isn't gonna change," he murmured, rubbing their noses together before their lips touched sweetly.

Roxas breathed him in, lazily swinging his arms around the redhead's neck to kiss him more firmly. He didn't mind being Axel's.

Not one bit.

* * *

Roxas' first thoughts when he opened his eyes were that he wasn't where he'd fallen asleep and that he wasn't alone.

He didn't remember falling asleep, but he also didn't remember going up to his room. Realizing he must have fallen asleep when he and Axel were watching tv and waiting for Ven, he came to the conclusion that the redhead carried him to bed.

Smiling softly, he reached up a hand to gently caress Axel's face, running his fingers lightly over closed eyelids, the curve of his nose and slightly parted lips. It seemed so surreal, yet so natural, to be laying there with him like that.

 _This is my boyfriend,_  he thought with a start. A warm feeling bubbled up in his chest.  _He's all mine, and I'm all his._

He looked so peaceful, eyes moving behind his lids as he dreamed. His bright hair was wild and messy, and Roxas allowed the smallest of chuckles to escape.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been laying there, just admiring Axel, before he heard footsteps on the stairs. Seconds later, there was a soft knock on his door.

"Come in," he called softly, not wanting to wake Axel.

The door cracked open, revealing a tired looking Ven. Letting out a sigh of relief, Roxas raised a finger to his lips and pointed to Axel before gently extracting himself from the embrace, managing to do so without the redhead waking.

He joined Ven in the hall, softly shutting the door before throwing his arms around his brother.

"Jesus, Ven, where were you? I was worried sick, you didn't take your phone or leave a note..."

Ven hugged him back. "I'm sorry, I forgot...I was at Zexion's last night, he was lonely and wanted to hang out. I needed help with chemistry anyway. Sorry to worry you, Rox," he murmured.

"I'm just glad you're okay," he said softly, giving him an extra squeeze before letting go to examine him. "Jeez, Ven, you look like hell...did you two even sleep last night?"

Ven looked down, releasing a chuckle that almost seemed forced. "We watched movies all night. Superhero marathon."

Roxas shook his head in amusement. "You'd better get up for school in the morning."

Ven looked up, smiling a little. "I will, don't worry." Suddenly, he smirked. "Judging by those hickeys on your neck and the fact that he's sleeping in your room, I'm guessing your date with Axel went well last night?"

Blushing, Roxas reached up to cover his neck. "Oh, shush." He bit his lip, smiling. "But...it was amazing, Ven. We're, uh...he's...I'm dating Axel," he finally managed to say, feeling his smile widen as he said it out loud.

Ven's mouth fell open, the corners tilted up. "Seriously?"

Roxas nodded. "I even told him about Seifer...he told me he'd never do anything like that to me, and...I think I believe him, Ven. He's so sweet and caring..."

"I'm so happy for you, Roxas," he said with a smile, although his eyes were filled with a strange sadness that Roxas decided not to question.

"Thanks, Ven," he murmured, hugging his brother one last time before turning back to his door. "I'm gonna wake Axel up and make him make us breakfast, why don't you shower?"

The younger blond nodded and headed toward the bathroom. Roxas opened his door and crept over to the bed, climbing on and hovering over Axel. With a devilish smile, he leaned down and pressed their lips together.

Within seconds, sleepy green eyes fluttered open. Smiling into the kiss, Axel tiredly wrapped his arms around Roxas' waist and properly returned the kiss.

"That is officially the best way I've ever woken up," Axel murmured, voice thick with sleep, once their lips disconnected.

"Ven's home," he informed the redhead with a grin. "We want breakfast, Mister Culinary Major."

The redhead yawned, letting out a chuckle as he did so. "Ah, I see how it is. Manipulate me with kisses and puppy dog eyes so that I'll make you food. What if I don't feel like cooking?"

Roxas widened his eyes, lower lip jutting out and even trembling a little. "But you're such a good cook, Axie," he said with a slight whine, fingers climbing up the redhead's bare— _whoa, when did that happen?_ —chest until they reached his chin, tilting his face up. "And I love eating your cooking..." he added, voice dropping as his lips grew closer and closer to Axel's. "I'd really love it if you cooked, Axel..."

Axel groaned deeply as their lips touched, arms snaking around the blond's waist and pulling them flush against one another. Smirking, knowing he'd won, Roxas kissed him deeper, opening his mouth to allow Axel's entrance. Their tongues mingled languidly, neither really fighting for any kind of dominance.

"Does this mean you'll cook?" Roxas asked with a cheeky grin as they separated for air, blue eyes shining.

Axel flipped them, a playful glint in his green eyes. "You cheeky little bastard," he murmured, peppering kisses all over his face and neck. "Not even a full day of dating and you already have me wrapped around your finger..." he breathed, breath hot on Roxas' ear. The blond squirmed under him, breath catching when he felt a hot tongue slide over the shell. "Two can play at that game, my dear." With that, he connected their lips once more, more forcefully than Roxas had. The blond felt his breath be stolen as his mouth was pried open by a questing tongue, the tiniest of moans escaping his throat.

"Hey, Roxas— _whoa,_  sorry to interrupt."

The two separated at Ven's amused voice as the younger Strife entered the room, finding him smirking.

Sitting up and attempting to slow his heart, Roxas cleared his throat and told himself not to blush. "Something you needed, Ven?" he questioned, somehow managing to keep his voice even.

Ven smirked wider. "Just wondering if we had more shower gel," he replied breezily.

"Under the bathroom sink," Roxas told him, leaning back against the headboard.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Axel asked, seemingly unaffected by Ven's appearance.

"I'm not picky, and if you're as good at cooking as Roxas says, I'm sure whatever you make will be fine," he responded before exiting.

Axel sat up and crossed his arms—well  _hello,_  muscles—over his bare—was he _trying_  to kill him?—chest, one eyebrow quirked. "You brag about my cooking?" he questioned, tone amused.

Roxas rolled his eyes, cheeks reddening slightly. "I just told him it was good, I don't _brag_ —"

Soft lips cut off his protest, and he felt a smile against his mouth. "I'm flattered, Roxy," he whispered, chuckling. "It's cute that you talk about me."

Rolling his eyes again, Roxas placed his hands on Axel's chest and shoved him playfully. "Ah, shut it," he laughed, rolling out of bed. He was nearly at the door when his legs were knocked out from underneath him. A surprised shout left him as he fell toward the floor, only to be swept up by two strong arms and carried bridal-style from the room.

"What was that for?!" he shrieked, squirming. "Put me down!"

Axel grinned down at him. "But where's the fun in that? I like having you in my arms," he purred, green eyes glinting.

Roxas pouted, crossing his arms. "I'm perfectly capable of walking."

"I know," Axel replied, chuckling. "I'm serious, though. I like holding you..."

Roxas felt his face soften, and he finally gave up and nuzzled his face into Axel's warm chest.

Once they reached the kitchen, Axel let Roxas down, pecking his lips before letting him go completely.

"Go ahead and look through the fridge and cupboards, I went shopping the other day so we should have plenty of stuff," Roxas told him, taking a seat at the table and grinning.

Axel chuckled. "So you're just gonna sit there and look pretty while I do all the work?"

"Pretty much," the blond replied, settling back in his chair.

Sighing and shaking his head, Axel got to work looking for things to cook. Roxas simply watched him, biting his lip when he noticed the dimples at the bottom of his spine and the way his jeans hung low on his narrow hips. His skin was pale, marked here and there with even paler scars, and though he was very thin and lanky, lean muscles covered his body.

He was perfect.

It was almost funny that he'd never really noticed it before. He'd been too busy looking for reasons to hate Axel that he'd never properly looked at him or gotten to know him, and he definitely regretted it. Axel was beautiful, inside and out.

"Done staring?" Axel questioned with a lazy smirk, bringing the blond out of his reverie.

Grinning unashamedly at being caught ogling, Roxas stood to wrap his arms around the redhead. "Sorry, I was just admiring my perfect boyfriend," he murmured, chuckling.

"I really love the sound of that, you know," Axel told him, tucking a stray piece of blond hair behind Roxas' ear. "I don't know if I'll ever get enough of it."

Roxas' expression softened. "Well, you'll have plenty of time. You wanted me, now you're stuck with me."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," the redhead said softly, nuzzling their noses together affectionately before kissing the tip of Roxas'. "I can't think of anyone I'd rather be stuck with."

"Sap," Roxas teased, hugging him tighter and burying his face in Axel's chest. He planted a soft kiss right in the center, sighing in content.

"You bring it out in me," the redhead whispered, kissing the crown of his head.

"You two are disgusting," Ven muttered as he entered the kitchen, hair damp with a towel around his neck. He was dressed in an oversized black shirt along with comfy looking sweatpants, and he looked exhausted.

"Aw, Ven, don't be jealous," Axel grinned, holding Roxas tighter. "It's only a matter of time before you and Terra start dating, with the way you were looking at him," he added with a playful wink.

Ven reddened immediately, sputtering nonsense while Roxas chastised Axel halfheartedly.

The redhead shook his head in amusement. "You know it's true. You have it _bad_ , kid."

Ven sank down in the chair Roxas had previously been occupying, wincing momentarily as he did so.. "He's just...he's gorgeous, and he's really mysterious. He never talked to anyone, but he chose to help me that day. I guess he just intrigues me."

Roxas snorted. "Well, I'd prefer him to Vanitas any day, so I say go for him."

Ven seemed to blanch at the mention of Vanitas, to their confusion.

"You okay, kid?" Axel questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Slowly, Ven nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied quietly, clearing his throat. "Just...tired. And I, uh, fell down the stairs at Zexion's, so it kinda hurts to sit..."

Roxas immediately went into mother-hen mode, disentangling himself from Axel to run over to his brother and grip his face. "Are you alright? Are you bruised? You didn't hurt yourself too bad, did you? Do we need to take you to the hospital?"

With a small smile, Ven gently pushed his brother away. "Cool it, Rox, I'm fine. The bruises will go away."

Roxas hugged him, sighing. "You worry me, Ventus..." he murmured. His brow furrowed. "By the way, are you getting sick? You sound hoarse..."

He felt Ven shrug. "Maybe...I haven't been feeling the best since last night..."

The elder Strife drew back, worried blue eyes meeting identical ones. "Well take it easy today, okay? Take a nap after breakfast or something," he told him, gently running his fingers through damp blond hair.

Ven smiled tiredly. "That sounds good."

Roxas turned back to Axel, hugging him and stretching on his toes to peck his lips. "I'm going to shower. My breakfast better be waiting for me when I get out," he said playfully, rubbing their noses together.

Axel chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, get going," he replied, connecting their lips once more before gently pushing him toward the door.

Roxas hurried up to the bathroom, stripping and jumping in the shower. He washed languidly, taking his time with washing his hair and lathering his body. In all, he took around fifteen minutes before shutting the shower off and wrapping a towel around his waist.

Immediately, he headed to his room and pulled on some boxers and sweatpants. Toweling his hair and upper body off, he let the damp towel fall to the floor and made his way back downstairs.

Immediately, his nostrils were filled with the scent of bacon. Inhaling deeply, a contented sound escaped him. Once he got closer to the kitchen, he could hear voices.

"Stir it a little faster. There you go, that's perfect! Now pour it into the frying pan, and use that spatula to move it around. Oh, and put some pepper on it."

"Like this?"

Axel's laugh was easily heard. "Perfect, kid. You're doing great."

Peeking around the corner, Roxas looked in, eyes softening at the sight he found. Axel was teaching Ven how to make scrambled eggs, it seemed, and he was leaning back against the counter with an almost proud look on his face. Ven was smiling at the redhead, soaking up the praise being given to him.

It warmed Roxas' heart to see them getting along. He knew they would, but seeing it for real made him unbelievably happy.

"Burn my eggs and die, Venny," he announced, striding into the kitchen with his arms crossed over his bare chest.

Both Axel and Ven looked over at his appearance, and the younger blond simply stuck his tongue out at him before turning back to the stove. Green eyes lingered, however, appreciatively roving over his naked upper body.

A small blush flooded to Roxas' cheeks as he made his way over to the counter, swiping a piece of bacon and biting into it. As he turned to sit down, arms wrapped around him from behind, and he felt a face nuzzle into his damp hair.

"You smell good," he mumbled, chuckling softly.

Roxas grinned. "Showers tend to make a person smell good, Ax."

"Smartass," the redhead muttered.

Roxas turned his his arms, grinning wider. "You wouldn't have me any other way."

Leaning down, Axel kissed the very tip of his nose before nuzzling it with his own. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Ven groaned. "Ew, take your lovey-dovey shit far from me," he grumbled, shifting the eggs around in the frying pan.

"Aw, Venny, don't be jealous," Roxas said sweetly, reaching out to pinch his brother's cheek.

The younger blond scoffed. "Imagine. I'm not jealous, you two are just gross!"

Axel grinned. "Whatever you say, kid."

Soon, all the food was cooked, and the three sat down to eat. Ven grinned at the compliments he received from both Axel and Roxas on the eggs, while the Strifes practically moaned at the taste of the bacon and French toast that the redhead had made.

"So when are you two picking up the kids?" asked Ven as he leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach in content.

Roxas shrugged. "I dunno, whenever? I'm sure Ax wants to go to his house first to get dressed and stuff, am I right?"

The redhead nodded. "I need a shower and clean clothes...preferably clothes that cover these..." Grinning, he ran his fingers over the marks on his collarbones and neck.

Ven shuddered. "Okay, ew, I'm going to bed. See you guys after," he muttered, getting up and placing his plate in the sink before heading upstairs.

Roxas snorted, rising from his chair in favor of plopping down on Axel's lap and wrapping his arms around him, running his fingers through long red hair. "They look good on you," he whispered, smirking.

Long, thin fingers touched Roxas' neck, where he knew he sported marks of his own. "I could say the same to you. Just seeing them makes me want to give you more," Axel purred, waggling his eyebrows.

"Later," he breathed, pressing a soft kiss to Axel's neck before standing, a smirk on his lips. "Now come on, let's go to your place so we can get the girls soon."

Axel shook his head, chuckling. "You sure are something else, Roxas Strife. Don't ever change."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> last update for now! i'll add three more chapters tomorrow!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora and Riku are lesbians. That's about it.

Once Roxas had thrown a shirt on, the two headed to Axel's apartment. Upon arriving, the redhead pecked him on the lips before ducking into the bathroom, leaving Roxas to explore the apartment.

He ended up finding a book full of pictures. Curiously, he picked it up and took it to the couch, plopping down and flipping it open.

Inside, he found pictures of what must have been Axel's parents. His mother was pregnant and glowing in the first picture, brilliant red hair pulled into pigtails. Her shining green eyes were the exact shade of Axel's.

The man who must have been Axel's father had his arms wrapped around her, hands resting on her swollen belly. His light brown hair was unruly, violet blue eyes bright. They looked incredibly happy, and Roxas could see little bits of Axel in both of their faces.

The next photo was of them once more, only the woman's stomach was flat and she held a small bundle in her arms. The baby had a shock of bright red hair, which made Roxas snort. Axel was an adorable baby, though.

The photos continued, with Axel getting older and older. Roxas outright laughed when he found pictures of the redhead's early teenage years—he was all gangly and awkward looking, and just plain adorable. His hair was short and spiky, and he looked odd without the purple tattoos beneath his eyes.

Soon, pictures of a baby Kairi started to appear. There was an adorable picture of Axel holding her, smiling one of the widest smiles Roxas had ever seen. He looked so proud to be a big brother.

The last picture in the book made Roxas' breath catch in his throat. It was of the entire family, and they were in a hospital room. Axel looked miserable, his father looked worn out and exhausted, Kairi looked blissfully oblivious, and Axel's mom...

Gone was the vibrant woman from the previous pictures. She was gaunt and thin, and she just looked plain sick. Her red hair was dull, and there was no more light in her emerald eyes.

 _This was right before she died,_ Roxas realized, gently shutting the book and setting it on the table. _Right before Axel's life got all messed up..._

"I see you found the picture book."

Roxas looked up, finding Axel leaning in the doorway with a smile. His long red hair was damp and flat, and he wore dark jeans and a loose white linen sweater.

Roxas set the book aside, nodding with a smile. "Yeah...you look a lot like your mom," he told him.

"So I've been told." He made his way over to the couch, sitting down beside the blond and tugging him closer. "Kairi looks more like dad, other than the hair."

"We all look like my dad," Roxas told him, resting his head on a broad shoulder. "He had blond hair and blue eyes. Mom's a brunette, and her eyes are brown. We don't really look much like her at all...Ven and I especially look like dad."

"You'll have to show me pictures sometime," he murmured, kissing his forehead.

They sat there for a moment, huddled together, before Roxas asked, "Shouldn't we be getting the girls?"

Axel chuckled. "In a bit. I want some time to hold you before we have two little girls to look after again," he whispered, lips brushing against Roxas' hair.

"I can deal with that," the blond responded just as softly, turning to nuzzle their noses together.

"I wasn't really giving you a choice," the redhead told him with a playful smile, kissing his nose.

"Dick," Roxas said affectionately, laughing softly.

"What do you think the girls are going to think of you and I dating?" Axel questioned, suddenly looking a little worried.

Roxas grinned. "I think they'll be happy. I know Naminé loves you, so she'll be excited. She talks about you all the time."

"Same with Kairi," the redhead replied with a chuckle, shaking his head. "I guess we have nothing to worry about, then."

They stayed like that for a little while longer, huddled together, before deciding it was time to get their sisters. They left the apartment and headed to the elevator.

"Sora's gonna freak out when he finds out about us," Roxas remarked, resisting the urge to groan.

Axel laughed. "I know he will. It's gonna be hilarious!"

"Riku will probably tease us," the blond murmured, chuckling.

Axel waved a hand dismissively. "I can handle Riku, he's been my best friend for years. I'll smack him if he goes too far," he promised, kissing his temple.

The doors opened, and they made their way out to Axel's car. As soon as they got in, Axel hooked his phone up to the radio and started blasting music.

"You listen to The Neighbourhood?" Roxas questioned, surprised.

Axel snorted. "They're my favorite band right now."

The blond sighed happily. "I love their music." He promptly began to sing along absently as they drove, glancing out the window.

"I never knew you could sing."

Roxas looked over at the remark, blushing a little. "Music is more Ven's thing, I prefer art. But I like singing sometimes," he told him, shrugging. "Ven drug me to piano lessons and stuff with him when we were younger, and I drug him to art classes. We both figured out what we liked that way."

"Well you have a really nice voice," Axel said with a grin. "I sound like a dying cat when I sing. Makes singing Kairi to sleep kinda hard."

Roxas laughed at that, leaning across to kiss his boyfriend's cheek. "You can't be good at everything, Ax. Stick with cooking."

The redhead grinned wider before putting on a face of mock sorrow. "But I've always dreamed of being a singer, Roxy! It's my calling in life!" he exclaimed in a ridiculous falsetto.

Laughing, Roxas gave him a playful shove. "You're such a weirdo, Axel."

"Me, _weird_? The horror!" Axel continued in that same voice, quickly dissolving into laughter. Roxas rolled his eyes, letting out a few chuckles of his own.

They turned onto Sora's street and stopped outside of his house, cutting the ignition and getting out. It was a silent agreement between them to act as if nothing had changed between them, so that they could surprise their friends and sisters.

Upon knocking, the door was opened by a smiling Aerith. "Hello, boys," she greeted, emerald eyes shining. "Here for your sisters?"

They nodded in unison, smiling. "They were good, right?" Roxas questioned, biting his lip.

"They were wonderful. They watched movies, we made cookies, and they all fell asleep around nine. I guess Naminé had an incident with a nightmare, but she went right to Sora and Riku and they calmed her down. She fell asleep in Riku's arms and he carried her back to Xion's room," she informed him.

"Where are they?" asked Axel.

She laughed, raising a hand to her mouth. "Sora's room. The three of them decided that he and Riku weren't _pretty_ enough."

Axel and Roxas shared a grin before thanking her and heading upstairs and creeping down the hall toward Sora's bedroom.

"Act natural," Roxas reminded the redhead, stretching on his toes to give him a quick peck. "We gotta try and fool them."

"Of course," replied Axel, grinning.

Raising his hand, Roxas knocked on the door. There were three distinct giggles, a groan, then thumps nearing the door. When it opened, neither Axel nor Roxas could restrain the laughter.

Sora's golden brown hair was tied up in random places all over his head with little glittery elastics. He wore a horrendous amount of bright pink blush, along with light blue eye shadow and dark pink lipstick. His nails were even painted light pink.

Quickly, Roxas snapped a picture with his phone before the brunet had a chance to stop him. He could barely breathe because he was laughing so hard, and Sora looked like he wanted to die.

"Damn, Sora," Roxas chortled, patting him on the shoulder. "You are one _ugly_ lady."

"Shut up," Sora groaned, pouting.

"Roxy!" Naminé exclaimed upon spotting him. She was painting Riku's fingernails a bright red (well, more like finger than nail), and she hastily finished with the last few before running to her brother and jumping into his arms.

Laughing, he kissed her forehead. "Did you miss me, kiddo?"

She nodded vigorously. "I had fun here with Kairi and Xion, though! And Sora and Riku too!"

He smiled. "I'm happy, Nami."

The little blonde looked over to Axel, grinning wide. "Hey, Axie! Did you and Roxy have fun?"

The redhead shrugged. "I guess," he replied nonchalantly, and Roxas had to stop himself from letting out a very unmanly giggle.

Sora's brow furrowed. "You 'guess'?" he questioned, blue eyes narrowing in thought. He chewed on his lip before turning to Riku. "'Ku, come on. We need to talk to these two in private."

"Oh thank god," the silveret breathed as Kairi and Xion stepped away to let him stand. He, like Sora, had been the victim of the girls—his long silver hair was braided all over, his nails were fire truck red, he wore the brightest shade of red lipstick Roxas had ever seen, and he also wore red blush and black eye shadow.

" _Damn_ , Riku, you actually make a pretty hot chick," Axel commented as they left the room to head downstairs. Sora had told the girls to stay where they were.

"Shut the  _fuck_  up before I stab you," Riku growled, pulling at the elastics that held his hair in braids. "Never again will I let them near me with makeup and nail polish."

"Aww, Riku's pmsing," Roxas cooed, causing Sora to burst out laughing and Axel to snort.

"Maybe his bra's on too tight," Axel added, snickering.

"Or his panties," Roxas replied, smirking.

"I fucking hate you guys," he muttered, plopping down on the couch in the living room. Sora sat beside him, taking his hand.

"Aw, 'Ku, don't be grumpy.  _I_  think you're handsome no matter what," he told him, rubbing their noses together. "I love you even if you look like a cheap hooker."

Axel made gagging noises, while Riku shot him a death glare before turning back to Sora, pecking his lips.

"I love you too, even though you look like an idiot," he replied, reaching up to tug one of the tiny sections of Sora's hair.

Sora smiled before turning serious blue eyes on Axel and Roxas, who sat on the couch across from them. "What happened last night?" he asked in a no-nonsense tone.

Axel and Roxas looked away from each other, and the blond crossed his arms. "Nothing special. We ate at his cousin's diner and went to Radiant Garden."

"And?" Sora prompted, raising an eyebrow.

"And nothing," replied Axel, shrugging. "I dropped him off."

"That's it?" Riku questioned, tone incredulous.

Roxas then nodded, making a show of scratching his neck. He tilted his head far to the side, clearly showing off his multitude of dark hickeys.

It took Sora about two seconds to see them and screech. "OH MY GOD GUYS!" he yelled, blue eyes wide.

Riku grinned, holding his hand out to Axel for a high-five, which was gladly given before the redhead wrapped an arm around Roxas and pulled him close. The blond tilted his head up, smiling when Axel's tilted down to kiss him gently. It was a short kiss, and Roxas settled his head on Axel's broad shoulder when it was over.

"So what does this mean for you guys?" Riku asked, seeing as Sora was practically hyperventilating.

The two shared a look before Roxas answered, "He asked me to be his boyfriend, and I said yes."

At that, Sora sprang up from his couch, tackling the two in a hug. "I knew it would happen!" he exclaimed excitedly, squeezing them tight. "I'm so happy for you both!"

Axel laughed. "Thanks, Sora."

The brunet pulled back, grinning mischievously. "Did you guys...?" he waggled his eyebrows suspiciously, causing Roxas to choke on his spit and Axel's eyes to widen.

"No!" Roxas exclaimed, looking scandalized. "What do you take me for, a cheap hooker?"

"You'd have to look like Riku for that," Axel answered, restraining himself from laughing.

Riku shot them a scathing look. "What _ever_. But, come on. You both have hickeys on your necks, you're all lovey, and, well, we _know_ you guys. So it wouldn't have been much of a surprise, honestly."

Roxas crossed his arms, looking away. "Well _no_ , we didn't."

"We just made out," Axel added, grinning. "A  _lot_. It was great."

Roxas smacked him lightly. "Shut up or it won't happen again."

But the redhead only laughed, leaning over and grabbing him by the neck. "You know you wouldn't be able to resist me," he breathed, lips inches away from touching the blond's.

Roxas blinked hard, licking his lips. Just as they were about to kiss, Sora let out an unmanly squeal.

"You two are adorable!" he squealed, taking his seat beside Riku once more.

Smiles softening, Axel kissed Roxas' forehead before tugging him close, arms wrapping around him.

"You guys look good together," Riku told them, offering a rare true smile.

Axel smiled at his best friend. "Thanks, buddy. You two ladies are a match made in heaven, though. Aren't lesbians cute, Roxy?"

"Enough with the girl jokes!" Riku growled, suddenly sullen once more.

Sora laughed lightheartedly, hugging his boyfriend and kissing his cheek, leaving pink lip prints that he made a decision to say nothing about. "Riku, get the stick outta your ass. It's funny! You don't see me getting mad."

Riku proceeded to grumble something unintelligible.

Sora then cleared his throat, fixing his sky-colored eyes on Axel and Roxas. Or, more specifically,  _Axel_. "Now, Axel, I am trusting you with my best friend. Do anything to hurt him or fuck things up, and _I will end you_. Because I care a lot about Roxas, he's been my best friend since birth. So keep that in mind, alright? I really like you, and I think you'll be really good for Rox, but I just wanted to warn you."

The redhead's arms tightened around Roxas. "I won't hurt him, Sora. I care a lot about him, and I would never do anything to screw that up."

Eyes soft, Roxas tilted his face up for a soft kiss. "You big sap, you," he murmured, chuckling.

"Only for you," Axel replied, kissing the tip of his nose.

"Eugh. I think I liked it better when Roxas hated him," Riku muttered, shuddering.

They all burst out laughing at that, and Sora have his boyfriend a light smack. "But 'Kuuu, look how happy they both are! I think it's cute! Don't you remember when we first started dating? We were like that too!"

Riku's face softened. "Yeah, I remember. It was all so new, so exciting...and now you're just my old hag."

Sora pouted at that, crossing his arms. "Riku!"

The silveret grinned, tugging Sora close. "Oh, stop. You may be my old hag now, but I love you more than ever. Nothing can change that, Sor."

Axel and Roxas watched as Sora practically melted, throwing himself at Riku and hugging him tight. "I love you too, you old shrew."

"Sor-Sor? Can we come down now?" Xion called.

"Come on, kids," the brunet replied, grinning.

There was a chorus of thumps as the three little girls tore down the stairs. Kairi was first, followed by Xion and then Naminé. All three of them tackled Axel and Roxas, much to the amusement of Sora and Riku.

"Are you two boyfriends yet?" Kairi asked loudly, violet eyes sparkling.

"Yeah! We wanna know! Sor-Sor and Riku said you would be!" Xion added.

"So are you?" Naminé questioned, deep blue eyes inquisitive.

Axel and Roxas shared a look before slowly nodding, which drew squeals from each of the little girls. Kairi and Xion slid off the couch and started hopping around excitedly, while Naminé crawled between Axel and Roxas, looking down and twiddling her thumbs.

"Since you guys are boyfriends now...does that make us all kinda like a family?" she asked quietly, slowly looking up.

Sharing a soft look, the two pulled her in for a hug and kissed her cheeks. "It makes us  _just_  like a family, kid," Axel promised, green eyes sparkling.

Roxas only hoped that held true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'll add the next 2 chapters later when i have more time!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleepy mornings, and Axel's planning something.

The rest of January passed relatively calmly. Roxas continued to balance school, work and family, which now included Axel and Kairi. Often times, they'd stay at his house, much to Naminé's delight.

Ven stayed in his room most of the time, which worried Roxas, but every time he asked about it, Ven would just smile and say he had a lot of homework or something along those lines. He was also gone every weekend, apparently to either Zexion's or Terra's house. Always, he'd come home on Sunday looking exhausted, but he always waved off Roxas' concerns. He'd been missing many Mondays of school as a result, which worried Roxas the most.

Naminé hadn't had any more incidents at school, to Roxas' knowledge. Xion was her ever-vigilant protector, which the eldest Strife was grateful for. It meant one less thing for him to worry about.

Axel often told him he worried too much. Roxas would protest, claiming he had a lot on his plate, only to be silenced with a gentle kiss that soothed his worries for a little while. And then Axel would tell him to go take a nap, that he'd help the kids with their homework and have dinner ready by the time he got up again.

He really was a godsend.

* * *

He was roused from sleep one morning by his boyfriend's soft, gentle voice and fingers carding through his hair. "Roxas. Babe. Wake up, breakfast is ready now."

Blue eyes slowly opened, finding Axel's smiling face in the dimly-lit room. Sleepily, he smiled and sat up, stretching. "What did you make?" he questioned, yawning.

Smiling a little wider, Axel reached out to stroke his cheek. "Waffles, as per Naminé's request."

"Mmm." Roxas leaned forward, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend. "Sounds delicious."

Their noses touched, and the redhead smirked. "Isn't _everything_ I make delicious?" he joked, brushing their lips together.

Roxas grinned, hooking his fingers together behind Axel's neck. "I suppose. But don't let that go to your head," he murmured, delicately pressing their lips together. He felt the smirk intensify as Axel practically tackled him backwards, lips separating from his own to spread kisses all over his face and neck. The blond felt himself start to laugh, wrapping his legs around Axel and hugging him close. He lived for mornings like these, when he and Axel just goofed off and acted silly.

Thumps were heard, and then two small bodies joined in on the hug and kissing. Roxas was attacked with kisses from all angles, making him laugh and squirm.

"Get up, Roxy!" Naminé exclaimed, blue eyes bright.

"The waffles will get cold!" Kairi added, giggling.

"Okay, okay!" Roxas gasped out, still laughing hard. "Let me up!"

His three assailants moved off of him, letting him sit up. Naminé crawled onto Axel's lap, and just as Kairi was about to as well, Roxas grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder. High pitched giggles were torn from her as he stood, carrying her from his room and toward the stairs. Axel was behind him, carrying Naminé on his back.

When they reached the kitchen, Ven was already shoveling his waffles down ravenously, still looking ruffled from sleep. A muffled greeting left his mouth as they entered the room, causing Roxas to snort.

"Swallow before attempting to speak, Ventus," he chided, eyebrow raised in amusement. He set Kairi down and grabbed a plate that had two waffles on it, taking it to the table and sitting. The kids and Axel soon joined, and breakfast was eaten in amicable silence.

"Anything planned for after school, Ven?" the eldest Strife questioned, swallowing the food in his mouth.

Ven shrugged, glancing briefly at Axel before meeting his older brother's eyes. "Not sure yet. I'll most likely come home after school, though."

Lifting a brow suspiciously when he saw Ven and Axel lock eyes once more, Roxas simply pursed his lips and nodded. "Alright."

The younger blond stood from the table, taking his plate to the sink and rinsing it off. "I'm going to take a shower, I won't be long," he said before exiting the kitchen and heading upstairs.

"Did you two pick out your outfits for the day?" Axel asked, turning his attention to the two little girls at the table.

Both nodded enthusiastically, munching on the last of their waffles. As soon as they finished, they both stretched on their toes to put their plates in the sink before running upstairs, giggling the whole way.

"How about we snuggle for a bit after we take the kids to school?" Roxas questioned, abandoning his plate to seat himself on his boyfriend's lap. Axel didn't have class until twelve, and Roxas didn't work until one.

"If by ' _snuggle_ ' you mean aggressively make out for a little before cuddling, I'm down," Axel purred in reply, emerald eyes darkening a shade.

Roxas grinned. "Of course." He picked up a piece of waffle from Axel's plate with his fork, popping it in his mouth.

" _Hey_ ," the redhead protested halfheartedly.

Chuckling, Roxas speared another piece and held it up to Axel, allowing him to bite it off. Once they both chewed and swallowed, they shared a maple-flavored kiss.

"I swear, all you two do is suck face," Ven muttered as he entered the kitchen a few moments later. He was all dressed, blond hair damp still. He grabbed a granola bar from the cupboard before leaving again.

Both Axel and Roxas started laughing, huddling together, before the redhead lifted the blond into his arms and began the walk upstairs to check on Naminé and Kairi.

"Girls? Are you two dressed yet?" Axel called once they reached their door. He set Roxas down, wrapping his arms around him.

"Yeah!" they replied in unison. Roxas then opened the door, finding Kairi sliding a clip into her bangs while Naminé waited patiently.

"Can you do my hair, Axie?" she asked, fiddling with a long blonde lock.

Smiling, the redhead made his way over and asked her how she wanted it. Claiming she didn't care, he got to work twisting her hair together in a long, twisted ponytail that he secured at the bottom with an elastic and ribbon.

The little girl grinned in delight, throwing her arms around the tall redhead. "Thank you, Axie!"

He chuckled. "Anytime, kiddo."

Roxas' heart always warmed whenever he saw Axel interact with Naminé. Seeing how well they got along never failed to make him smile.

"Come on, girls, get your school bags," Roxas said, clapping his hands. "Can't be late for school!"

The two little girls immediately snapped into action, grabbing their bags and coats and running past Roxas to the staircase. Axel rose, wrapping his arms around Roxas' waist.

"Why don't you go back to bed and just wait for me? I can take the kids," the redhead offered, running a hand through soft blond hair. "You look tired, babe."

"Are you _sure_ you wouldn't mind taking them alone?" Roxas questioned, tracing designs on Axel's chest with his index finger.

"Of course I don't mind. Go and get the bed warm, I'll be back in twenty minutes."

Nodding, the blond stretched onto the tips of his toes to peck his boyfriend's lips gently. He felt Axel smile, followed by arms winding around his back, and then the redhead was kissing him more insistently.

He pulled away when Ven's door opened, smirking. His green eyes glinted like a cat's would as he nipped at Roxas' lower lip, whispering, "We'll continue when I get back."

"Damn right we will," the blond breathed, grinning. He gave his boyfriend a hug, breathing in his scent and nuzzling his face into his warm chest. "Don't be long."

He felt a kiss on the crown of his head. "I won't, don't worry," he murmured, pulling away. He jogged into Roxas' room to grab his car keys, gave him another quick peck in passing, and headed down the stairs. "Come on, let's go!" he exclaimed, making Roxas chuckle as he headed to his room and crawled into bed. He heard the front door close and sighed, wondering how he was ever so lucky to get a boyfriend like Axel.

* * *

"Have a good day at school, girls," Axel called, watching as they got out of the car.

The two waved enthusiastically, grinning. "Bye Axie! Bye Venny!" they said in unison before running off.

Axel pulled away from the school, glancing over at his boyfriend's little brother. They could honestly be twins, they looked so alike—except Roxas' hair was a little darker, a little shorter, his eyes were darker, he was taller, and he lacked the light dusting of freckles that Ven had on his nose and cheekbones. Their attitudes were also very different; Roxas was quieter, with a fiery temper. From what Roxas told him, Ven used to be more outgoing, more talkative, but he'd been in a sort of slump ever since the death of their father. It was understandable—loss did that to a person. It was simply a matter of getting past it, and Axel had already seen the boy improving in the short time he'd known him. It most likely had something to do with making friends, something he'd had a hard time with according to Roxas.

"I'm picking you up after school, right?" the redhead questioned, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah," replied Ven as he adjusted the volume of his music.

"And Terra and Zexion are staying all weekend?" he inquired.

"Terra is, Zex is only staying tonight. Demyx is taking him on a date tomorrow."

Axel snorted. "I should've expected that, since tomorrow _is_  Valentine's Day." He glanced over again. "You  _sure_  you're okay with watching the kids all weekend? I'm sure Aerith and Zack wouldn't mind taking them..."

Ven waved a hand dismissively. "I'm sure they want to enjoy their Valentine's Day. Don't worry, Ax, it's not like I have anything better to do. No significant other to spend tomorrow with or anything."

Axel grinned, nudging him. "Maybe this is your chance to get closer to Terra, Ven!"

The blond rolled his eyes, cheeks reddening slightly. "Oh  _shush_. I don't even think he's remotely gay, Axel."

"Shouldn't you figure that out?"

Ven scoffed. "I can't just outright ask him! _'Oh, Terra, I was wondering whether or not you liked boys?'_  I can't see that going over well." He sighed. "He knows I'm bi and that Zexion's gay, and that clearly doesn't bother him, but he's never said anything about which way  _he_  swings..."

Axel felt for him, he really did. He knew how it felt to like someone so much but not know how they felt about you—he'd pined after Roxas for over a month before they even became friendly with one another.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out, kid. And hey, if he's straight, well...there's plenty of fish in the sea. You're still young, you'll find someone," he said softly, reaching over to pat his shoulder.

"I know. It'll suck, but...I'll get over it," he said with a shrug. "Either way, I'm glad to have him as a friend. The assholes in school don't bother me or Zexion anymore because they know we're friends with him."

Axel snorted at that. "Well, he  _is_  a big guy. I can see why people would choose not to mess with his friends."

They pulled up to the school then, and Ven grabbed his bag and got out.

"We'll talk more when I pick you up, alright?" Axel murmured, smiling.

Ven nodded. "Sure. See you at 3:30, Axel."

"See you then, kid. Have a good day at school."

The car door closed then, and Axel grinned to himself as he headed back to Roxas'.

He had no idea what Axel had planned for the weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more chapter to come after editing!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terra and Vanitas _really_ don't like each other.

In fourth period, Ven took his seat beside Zexion in the chemistry lab, offering the shorter teen a smile. He looked visibly happier than he had when they met a month earlier, which Ven was happy for. He knew he had something to do with it, though he knew that most of it came from his boyfriend, aka Roxas' good friend Demyx. The two were an odd couple—Zexion was so quiet, reserved and thoughtful, while Demyx was loud and brash and impulsive. Yet somehow they meshed remarkably well together, like two puzzle pieces.

"Hey, Zex," he greeted, setting his bag on the floor beside him.

The slate-haired teen smiled. "Hey, Ven. How were your classes so far?"

The blond shrugged. "Music was okay, art was kind of boring, and all Terra and I did in math was goof off. How was your morning?"

Zexion shrugged. "Can't complain."

"You all set to stay at my house tonight?" he questioned, grinning.

Smiling, Zexion nodded. "My stuff is all packed on my bed. Terra's picking me up, right? Since you're going somewhere with Axel and the kids after school."

"Yeah," replied Ven. "I can't believe he's managed to hide this from Roxas! My bro's gonna freak—hopefully in a good way—when he finds out."

"Where's he taking him?"

Ven chuckled. "To Atlantica, until Sunday. I think Roxas will be excited, he's always wanted to go...he just needs to not worry about me and the kids and trust me to be responsible." He flashed a grin at that, causing Zexion to snort.

"You,  _responsible_? As if," the shorter teen teased, nudging him.

Ven pretended to look offended. "Hey, I  _can_  be responsible...occasionally..."

Zexion quirked an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure a _responsible_ person wouldn't sneak over to the house of someone he shouldn't be seeing every weekend under the guise of going to Terra's house or mine."

The blond waved a hand dismissively. "What Roxas doesn't know won't hurt him. And it's not like I'm going this weekend, I'm excited to spend the weekend with you, Terra and the kids." He then looked down, fiddling with his fingers. "Besides...Vanitas may be a little temperamental, but he's a good fuck. I'm happy with the arrangement, for now at least."

"You don't look happy." Ven looked up and met indigo eyes, eyes that were suddenly full of worry. "Ventus, I always notice a change in you on Fridays and Mondays. Fridays you seem okay, until it's close to the end of the day. You get jittery, jumpy. And Mondays...Roxas, you look like a zombie on the Mondays you do show up here." His voice lowered. "If he's doing anything to you that you don't like, Ven...say something. If he cares about you, he'll stop."

"Zexion...it's really nice to know that you're concerned about me, but I promise I'm alright. I'd tell you if I wasn't, okay? Vanitas can get a little...rough...but it's okay, I don't mind...not _really_ , anyway..."

Zexion sighed. "Well Terra and I are worried about you, Ventus. We just want to know you're alright." He looked down. "I've hung out with Terra on weekends. He's always so on edge, like the smallest thing will set him off, and I think it's because he's worried about you..."

Mr. Vexen entered then and called the class to order, cutting off Ven and Zexion's conversation. Those last words filled Ven's chest with unexpected warmth that stayed with him through the whole class, however.

_Terra worries about me?_

* * *

Lunch soon came, and Ven and Zexion met Terra at their usual table in the cafeteria. Somehow, Terra was already waiting with their lunch, as usual. It was a mystery how he got there early enough to do that...

"Hey, dickwad, hey Zexion," the tall brunet greeted, flashing a grin.

"Hey, buttmunch," Ven retorted, taking a seat beside him while Zexion sat on his other side.

"Hey, Terra," Zexion said, more politely.

"How was chem?" questioned Terra as he lifted his burger and took a bite.

"Boring. Mr. Vexen has such an annoying voice," Ven grumbled, popping a fry into his mouth.

Zexion laughed, rolling his eyes. "It was only boring because you weren't paying attention, Ven. We were discussing ionic bonds today."

Terra chuckled. "I've always found chemistry interesting...but I'm terrible at it, so I gave up long ago."

"It's not for everyone, that's for sure," Zexion said with a grin, digging in to his salad.

Halfway through lunch, Ven's phone buzzed in his pocket. Brow furrowed, he checked it, pausing in his eating.

It was from Vanitas.

_Meet me outside. You're skipping the afternoon._

Brow furrowing, he type out his reply. _Van, I can't. I've been missing too much school as it is, it wouldn't be right to miss more..._

"Who is it?" Terra questioned, one eyebrow raised.

"It's Vanitas," he replied, chewing in his lower lip.

Both of his friends immediately scowled. "What does  _he_  want?" Zexion asked sourly, crossing his arms.

"He wants me to skip the afternoon...he said he's outside..."

"No," Terra said immediately, navy eyes darkening. "He's _stupid_ if he thinks we'd let you, Ven."

His phone went off again.  _But Ventus, this is the only chance we'll have to see each other all weekend...can you blame me for wanting to see you?_

Ven met the eyes of his friends. "Guys, is it really that big of a deal? It's one afternoon, and he said he wants to see me since I can't stay at his house this weekend..."

Terra's jaw clenched. "For what, a quick fuck? You're better than that, Ven."

His face burned. His fingers began typing a response.  _My friends don't want me to go._  He hit send, leaning back in his chair and looking away.

"Ven, we just want what's best for you," Zexion said softly, laying a hand on his arm.

Ven snorted humorlessly. "You don't even  _know_  him. You've never talked to him in your lives."

"You said he's outside?" Terra inquired, cracking his knuckles. Ven hesitantly nodded, and then the brunet stood. "Then let's talk."

"Terra—" Ven tried to protest, but he was stopped by the looks on his friends' faces. Zexion just looked concerned, while Terra was a tornado of emotion. Anger, protectiveness and concern were the most dominant, however.

And so he followed reluctantly as his friends made their way to the doors, bags in hand and food trays untouched.

Ven spotted Vanitas leaning against the hood, lazily puffing a cigarette. When he spotted the three heading toward him, however, he flicked it to the ground without bothering to even stomp it out.

"Is there a reason for your posse, Ventus?" he drawled lazily, one black eyebrow raising. He spit, straightening and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Uh, Zex, Terra...this is Vanitas," the blond said awkwardly in introduction. "Vanitas, this is Zexion and—"

" _Terra_ ," the black-haired male cut in, his voice a growl. "I wasn't aware _you_ were friends with Ventus."

Ven's brow furrowed a he looked between the two. "You two know each other?"

Terra gritted his teeth, fists clenched. "When you said the name 'Vanitas', I got a little worried. But then I figured that there could be lots of people named Vanitas out there, so I didn't say anything. But here he fucking is."

"To answer your _actual_ question, Ventus," Vanitas began, eyebrow raised, "I dated his sister a couple years ago. Nasty break up. We've never really gotten along, Terra and I."

"Because you were an asshole to Aqua!" Terra exclaimed angrily, face reddening with anger. "She tried to convince me otherwise, that you only came across that way, but I saw through you. Evertually, I got her to see it too. And then she came home with bruises after finally breaking up with your sorry ass, and I've just been  _waiting_  for a chance to return the favor."

Ven backed up into Zexion, clutching his arm. The tension in the air was so thick that it could be cut with a knife.

"Is that a  _threat_  that I hear?" Vanitas questioned, straightening from his position against the hood.

Terra moved closer, towering over the older male. "I don't know, is it? You can find out if you'd like," he replied, his voice deadly. "Or you can leave Ven alone and I'll forget about how much I want to beat the shit out of you."

"Terra!" Ven exclaimed, eyes wide. His head was a mess from what he'd just heard. Vanitas had dated Terra's sister? Terra had a sister? And Vanitas hurt her when she broke up with him? Vanitas hadn't denied anything...

Falsely gold eyes burned. "I believe it's Ven's choice if be wants to see me or not, hm?"

"Ven..." Zexion murmured, indigo eyes cautious.

Ven took a deep breath, looking between the two angry males. One, his best friend (and crush). The other...what was Vanitas to him, anyway? He insisted on refraining from titles like 'boyfriend', much to Ven's slight disappointment. He supposed the proper term would be fuck buddy.

So his best friend (and crush), or his fuck buddy?

"Vanitas, did you really hurt his sister?" he asked, voice level.

Vanitas sighed impatiently, rolling his eyes. "I may have grabbed her a little too hard and accidentally knocked her into the wall. It was two years ago, Ventus! I don't see how it's even relevant!"

Taking a deep breath, Ven moved to Terra's side. "Leave, Vanitas."

Vanitas rolled his eyes again, shaking his head in disbelief as he began to laugh. "Come _on_ , Ven, you don't really mean that." He reached out toward him, but his arm was quickly grabbed in Terra's vice grip.

"I believe he said he wants you to leave.  _Don't_  make him repeat himself," he growled, navy eyes hard.

Zexion moved to Ven's other side and attempted to look threatening. "I can easily alert a teacher and have you forcibly removed if I have to," he said quietly, yet forcefully.

Vanitas looked back and forth between all three of them, eyes narrowing. He then backed up the the door of his car, and when he spoke, his voice was steely.

"This isn't over, Ventus," he snarled before getting in and slamming the door. His car purred to life, and the three had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit.

Ven sagged, sitting on the curb and placing his head in his hands. He felt Zexion sit beside him, leaning into his embrace as an arm wrapped around him.

Terra knelt before him, looking as if he was growing calm. Reaching out, he tilted the blond's chin up and looked him in the eyes.

"You made the right choice, Ven. Vanitas is manipulative and conniving, and I don't want you getting hurt because of him. You're too important to me for that."

Biting his lip, Ven impulsively leaned forward and hugged his brown-haired friend, feeling him stiffen in surprise. But slowly, surely, those strong arms hugged him back, pulling him closer. Hugging Terra was one of the nicest feelings in the world—he was warm, big, and Ven seemed to fit just right in his arms.

Hastily, he pulled Zexion into the embrace as well. "I'm so glad I have you two to look after my sorry ass," he said softly, hugging his friends tight.

"Someone has to," Zexion replied with a grin.

"It just so happens that we were unlucky enough to get stuck with you," Terra added, chuckling.

"Hey!" Ven pretended to be offended for a moment before laughing, hugging his friends tighter.

He really was grateful to have them.

* * *

When school ended, Axel was outside waiting for him. The kids sat in the back, grinning when they saw him.

"Hey, Venny!" they exclaimed once he got in, leaning forward as far as their seatbelts would allow.

He smiled fondly at them. "Hey, guys. How was school?"

"We had lots of fun!" Kairi answered, smiling broadly. "In art class, Miss Daisy showed Nami's art to the whole class! She went really red, it was funny!"

Ven turned his attention to his little sister, whose cheeks were red. Grinning, he held his hand up to her for a high five, which she meekly granted him. "Good job, Nams! I'm proud of you!"

Her deep blue eyes lit up at the praise. "Really, Venny?" she questioned.

He nodded. "I bet you'll be better than Roxas someday, kiddo. You're gonna go places with art," he told her, ruffling her bangs and making her giggle.

"I promised ice cream as celebration," Axel told him, smiling apologetically. "You don't mind, right?"

Ven shrugged. "I could go for some ice cream."

With that said, they headed to The Dairy Bar, where Roxas was currently working, since Scrooge's ice cream was arguably the best in all of the Destiny Islands.

It didn't take long to reach the small shop. They all exited the car, the bell on the door announcing their arrival as they entered the shop.

"Roxy Roxy Roxy!" the girls chanted, running up to the counter upon spotting him. Surprised, he turned, smiling widely upon seeing everyone.

"There's my favorite girls! What are you all doing here?" the eldest Strife questioned, blue eyes sparkling.

"We're celebrating," Axel answered, moving to lean across the counter and peck Roxas on the lips. Ven's chest burned with envy at the sight, but he quickly squashed it down.

"Celebrating what?" asked Roxas, one eyebrow raising.

Ven grinned, moving to stand behind Naminé. "Well, our beautiful little artist here had her artwork shown to the entire class by her teacher today," he replied proudly.

Roxas' face lit up even more. "Wow, kiddo! Good job!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands.

She smiled bashfully. "Thanks, Roxy."

"So what do you guys want, then?"

"Cotton candy! Cotton candy!" Naminé and Kairi began to chant, jumping up and down.

Roxas laughed. "Alright, two cotton candy ice creams for the ladies." He looked between Axel and Ven. "What about you two?"

"Sea salt," they replied in unison, bursting out laughing when they realized that they said the exact same thing at the exact same time.

Nodding, Roxas got to work scooping all of the ice cream. He gave Naminé and Kairi theirs first, followed by the two bars of sea salt ice cream.

"So you'll be right home after work?" Axel questioned as he paid.

Roxas nodded, grinning. "I need to make one quick stop and then I'll be home."

"Alright." Their lips met across the counter again, and Ven looked down to avoid seeing it.

He wanted what his brother had. Axel was great—he cared a whole lot about Roxas, he had Kairi, and he took care of their little family. Ventus wanted someone like that, someone to care for him and give him innocent little kisses just  _because_. He'd hoped that would eventually be Vanitas, but that was out of the question now.

His hope now rested on Terra.

Oh, how he'd love to be held in those arms and kiss those lips. Terra was an amazing guy—caring, strong, protective, not to mention he had the looks of an angel. Ven had found him attractive from the moment he'd laid eyes on him, but he figured he started falling for him the day he saved him from Braig. There was just something about him...

He was broken out of his musing when Naminé and Kairi blew past him toward the door, Axel following at a much slower pace. Waving goodbye to Roxas, Ven followed them out.

"So, girls," Axel began when they were settled into the car. He bit off some of his ice cream bar before continuing. "This weekend, Roxy and I are gonna be going away. He doesn't know yet though, because it's a surprise."

Naminé tilted a head inquisitively. "Why?"

He chuckled. "It's Valentine's Day tomorrow, and I want to do something special for him."

"Are you taking us to Xion's?" Kairi asked, berry-colored eyebrows knitting together.

Axel looked to Ven, who in turn smiled back at the little girls. "Actually, you guys are staying home with me. Terra's gonna stay all weekend, and Zexion's coming tonight to hang out with us."

Instantly, both of them lit up. They'd both grown quite attached to Ven's friends, a fact he found amusing.

"Yay!" they whooped, and Kairi nearly dropped her ice cream in her excitement.

Axel started the car upon finishing his ice cream, and then they were headed home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more chapters to come tomorrow!

**Author's Note:**

> this has been my baby for quite some time now--almost a year. i'll be uploading chapters here pretty quickly, but if you're really impatient, there are 38 chapters up over on fanfiction.net. my penname there is a-far-off-memory if you find you really can't wait to read more!


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